“That’s not the end of it. He’s got it coming to him. I don’t have
to put up with that! When the timing is right, I’ll get him good.”
We can sound scary when we are in a strike-back mood. Scary to others,
but have you never scared yourself with your wild thoughts of
retaliation when your mind furiously races and rages with possible
words or actions to strike back with. (Ending a sentence with a
preposition like ‘with’ is no big deal. There are bigger things to
worry about.) Tossing and turning in bed; plotting and scheming at
work; devising one line zingers to hurl at your adversary; tucking away
in the back of your mind how you might get even when the right time
comes, etc. They aren’t particular stellar moments on our journey home
to Heaven when we are consumed by the desire to set the record straight
or to get even.

I was impressed with David’s attitude towards
King Saul in 1 Samuel 24. The King was consumed by jealousy and envy.
With hatred and ‘murderous’ intentions he pursued David. On more than
one occasion King Saul hurled his spear at David, hoping to pin him to
the wall, but David escaped. David and his men were inside a cave one
evening and King Saul happened to stop for a rest in the very same
cave. Little did he know that David was inside. As the King snored
away, David crept up and cut off a piece of the King’s clothing.
David’s men wanted to do more than just cut off a piece of cloth. They
wanted to do the King in. David held them back. He was already feeling
guilty that he had even marred the King’s garment – let alone harm the
King in any other way. What a magnanimous and noble spirit David
displayed. When King Saul awoke, David said to him: “The Lord judge between me and thee...”
(1 Samuel 24:12) David told the King that he had no intentions of
killing him or harming him in anyway. That was none of David’s
business. He was not God. “If the Lord wants to deal with either of
us, that is His prerogative – but as for me, I will not harm you in
anyway. The Lord sees what is going on; He knows what is right and
wrong and He has the power to intervene as He sees fit.” That was David’s attitude.

As a believer I am dead wrong
and always wrong, no matter what, when I am having ‘get-even’ or
‘get-him’ or ‘strike-back’ thoughts. Even the thoughts are sin and need
to be brutally squashed and confessed to the Lord. (EP’s paraphrasing
of Rom 12:19-21 goes like this: “Don’t insist on getting even; that’s
not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of
it.” Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy
that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity
will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you;
get the best of evil by doing good.”)

(1Peter 2:20-25 WNT) “If you do wrong and receive a blow for it,
what credit is there in your bearing it patiently? But if when you do
right and suffer for it you bear it patiently, this is an acceptable
thing with God. And it is to this you were called; because Christ also
suffered on your behalf, leaving you an example so that you should
follow in His steps. He never sinned, and no deceitful language was
ever heard from His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not answer with
reviling; when He suffered He uttered no threats, but left His wrongs
in the hands of the righteous Judge. The burden of our sins He Himself
carried in His own body to the Cross and bore it there, so that we,
having died so far as our sins are concerned, may live righteous lives.
By His wounds yours have been healed. For you were straying like lost
sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your
souls.”

“Lord help me to be more Christ like in my attitude. I
confess I have harboured malicious, vindictive, ‘I’ll-get-you-back’
thoughts about _________. Help me to leave that matter entirely in Your
Hands and enable me to be occupied only with thoughts of Christ today.
Draw me nearer to Him.”