I love the movie Braveheart – the story of William Wallace. It’s a visceral, testosterone-filled movie that shows us something about what it means to be a man. My favorite part of the movie is when Wallace takes revenge on his betrayers. He ambushes them one by one. In a climactic scene, he actually rides a horse into the bedchamber of his enemy and crushes his head with a mace. When he does, I want to stand up and cheer. He has met the violence of evil and oppression with the violence of justice and freedom. The revenge is sweet.

We can all think back to a time when we were betrayed. We probably wanted to seek revenge, get even or strike back in some way. These are our natural reactions when we are hurt, especially when we are hurt deeply. The Bible, however, tells us a completely different way to react. When it feels natural for us to hit back, the Bible says to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). The Bible also makes it clear that God has His own way of dealing with those who seek to harm us, and He isn’t gentle.

The Gospel is transforming by nature. It brings us from darkness to light and from death to life. In our new life, we are called to act differently than the world acts. God doesn’t say we won’t hurt. However, if the Gospel is transforming us, the way we react to our hurts should be transformed. What if someone abuses us, insults us, divorces us, or gossips about us? How can we stop ourselves from letting bitterness take root? In Romans 12:14-21, Paul tells us how. He says:

  • Bless those who persecute you. (v.14)
  • Don’t repay evil for evil. (v. 17)
  • Don’t take revenge. (v. 19)
  • Be kind to your enemy. (v. 20)

I don’t know about you, but this just isn’t the way I am wired. Personally, when someone hurts me, I like the saying, “Paybacks are hell.” I like the bumper sticker that says, “Don’t get mad, get even.”

But we have to remember that God cares about our hurt. He never glosses over the legitimacy of anger and hurt. God doesn’t want us to ignore it or suppress it. Instead, He wants us to deal with it by giving it to Him and letting Him comfort us and heal our wounds. Peter says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

There really are people that try to hurt us and mess up our lives. Not only does God understand that our hurt is legitimate, He also knows that we really do have enemies who have sinned against us. And He takes that sin very seriously. Romans 12:19 reminds us, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” God says that He will handle our revenge, and He will.

God is looking out for us. He loves us and wants to protect us. He wants to relieve us of our bitterness and desire for revenge so that we can live peacefully. He takes our burdens so that we can heal. Is there a hurt that we need to turn over to Him today?