Avoid Acts of Revenge

How many times have you encountered circumstances that you just don't view as fair? If you are a living, breathing human being, I'll bet this thought has crossed your mind on numerous occasions. Like the cliches of old, life is not a cake walk. What we must not forget, though, is the fact that God has a purpose behind every situation in our life and we must not seek revenge when we are dealt a bad hand.
There were many times in my high school running career that I felt that I got shafted during a race. I remember running at the Icebreaker Relays my sophomore year and being in third place rounding the final curve to the finish line. Unfortunately as I was coming around the bend, a shot-putter stepped onto the track, and I had to quick sidestep into the adjacent lane to avoid him. That split-second sidestep ended up costing my relay team a bronze medal...by one stride. Needless to say, I was extremely upset, but I had to accept the fact that I was not meant to receive a medal that year. I could have gone and yelled at the shot-putter, but what would that have accomplished? Absolutely nothing.
One particular runner who has had to deal with her fair share of criticism over the years is British marathoner, Paula Radcliffe. To many, including myself, the accomplishments of Paula Radcliffe are astonishing. She holds the world record in the marathon and she has won the London and New York City marathons. But alas, an Olympic gold medal remains elusive in her career. Many people have criticized her about this over the years, especially when she dropped out of the marathon in Athens in 2004. Surprisingly, though, she always seems to make a comeback and uses her running to speak for her instead of lashing out at the barrage of criticisms.
We should all try our best to ignore our critics and live life to the fullest. We will all experience our fair share of blows and unjust accusations, but the most important concept to remember is to not allow our emotions to seek revenge. Romans 12:17-19 states, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." These are very important words to live by, especially in our darkest moments when we must endure our most difficult struggles. It is of upmost importance to allow God to take vengeance on anybody who has caused you harm, instead of taking action yourself. We must remember that God is in charge and that every experience we encounter serves a deeper purpose.
I find it most difficult to rest on my laurels when somebody I care about gets attacked or hurt, whether it be physically or emotionally. I always find myself seething in a fit of anger whenever those I care for most end up in an unreasonable situation. My knee-jerk reaction leans towards confronting whoever has hurt someone I love and making them pay for what they have done. This is much like Simon Peter's reaction to the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in John 18:10; he was so infuriated by the injustice of the arrest that he chopped off the ear of the high priest's servant. It is important to remember the reaction Jesus had in response to Simon Peter's act of revenge. In John 18:11, Jesus says, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" This is a very important point. We are not privy to the knowledge of God, and thus, we are unaware of His purpose for placing our friend's and family into certain situations. We may not be thrilled by any of the pain and suffering that they must endure, but it is our job to not seek revenge when it is not our place. Life is a series of very tough learning experiences, and it is not our job to seek revenge for all of the injustices that plague this fallen world. All we can do is pray for a better tomorrow and hope that God will bring healing to those who are hurting and devastated by despair.
"The Redeemer" by Sanctus Real seems to be a very fitting song to help remind us that even when we suffer injustice at the hands of others, we have an all loving God who redeems us and we can place our hope in Him.