“Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)
Why should we leave vengeance up to God?
Simple answer: We aren’t capable of righting the wrongs ourselves. There is no vengeance that will make everything okay… no revenge will actually bring justice to the one who has wronged us. It especially will not bring justice for our own souls.
Vengeance might make for an exciting Batman movie, but in real life, it never makes things right. An eye for an eye often sounds satisfying while we are angry. But the aftermath is empty at best, and is usually emotionally debilitating to all involved parties. Any good feeling our revenge brings will only be fleeting. Vengeance never heals.
Unforgiveness, the heart of vengeance, is a spiritual and emotional prison. Any revenge attempts on our part only further enslave and damage our own souls. Even our mere desire for it keeps our soul wounded and trapped in bitterness.
We forgive to be FREE. We forgive to be whole. Forgiveness is the only path to our own healing.
