Revenge is God's Business

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” — Romans 12:19

Sometimes a person might hurt us by saying or doing something mean. When that happens, our natural response is often to “get them back.” We want to make them hurt even more so they learn their lesson.

However, this is not the attitude a Christian should have.

Leave it to God

The apostle Paul told the Romans that we should not avenge (seek retribution or get even with) ourselves. God reminds us that He will punish all evil at the final judgment.

Instead of letting anger control us—which the Bible calls “giving place to wrath”—we must show kindness to the person who wronged us. In the very next verse, Paul instructs us to feed our enemy if they are hungry.

Doing good to others can help them see their errors. Even if they do not feel guilty, you have still done the right thing. If they choose not to repent (turn away from their sin), God will handle the justice in His own time.

Aim for Reconciliation

Ultimately, our goal should be to help the other person repent and serve God. When someone repents, they feel genuine sorrow for the wrongs they have done.

We should help them turn away from their hurtful behavior, rather than returning hatred for hatred. Our focus must always be on restoration, not retaliation.