“For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people'” Hebrews 10:30

My dad used to tell a story of a woman who was bitten by a dog suspected of having rabies. She was rushed to a hospital where she was treated and left waiting in a room until it could be determined whether or not the dog had rabies. A young doctor passing by the room noticed that the woman was muttering to herself, visibly shaken by the trauma of what had happened. He also noticed that she was writing something. “Are you writing your will or funeral instructions?” asked the young doctor. “Oh, no!” she replied. “Just in case I do have rabies, I’m making a list of the people I want to bite before I die.”

We used to talk about “the sweet taste of revenge,” but, in reality, there’s nothing sweet about the bitterness of revenge. To harbor bitterness and hatred towards someone who has wronged you is natural, but to forgive is supernatural. Twice in the New Testament God cried out, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

What’s wrong with vengeance in our hands? God says because of our own failures, we don’t have the right to vengeance. He will bring justice without our help. When you offer up the wrongdoer to God, you can actually trust God to do the job. Release yourself of the burden of bitterness today, and ensure that perfect justice will be served, by releasing the person who has wronged you to God.

Resource reading: Hebrews 10:26-31