“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him” — Daniel 9:9 NIV

I used to have a childhood friend, who for a period of time, went a little overboard with promoting the saying, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” We were probably in 6th or 7th grade at the time and I think he saw it on a bumper sticker or tee shirt but it became something that he identified with and repeated over and over. Thankfully he moved on from that obsession, as most boys do, but I’m afraid we have adults among us who still hold on to that get even philosophy.

If you talk with a policeman there is a pretty good chance he can tell you a real life crime story about a murder or battery initiated because someone felt disrespected, ignored, or humiliated by another. Unless we intentionally engage in the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness we too can find ourselves reacting to circumstances with a get even mindset.

Make the determination before any conflict arises to not get even. The Lord’s goodness toward you is your motivation to refrain from getting even. Besides, if someone is offensive, adverse, or debased toward you, God’s vengeance is going to be far more thorough and exacting than anything you can ever conjure up.