10 Verses For When You Feel Like Getting Revenge
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a choice – to retaliate or turn the other cheek?
Has someone hurt you and you feel tempted to get revenge?
It can be hard to wait on God’s timing when we are hurting and he seems silent. Sometimes we can be tempted to take revenge or say or do something we should not do just because we are desperate to resolve a matter. It’s easy to get ahead of God and try to resolve things on our own rather than waiting for God to help us.
I have to admit, somedays, being a Christian is really hard. Choosing to be kind in the face of evil is not a walk in the park. It takes the supernatural power of God to return an insult with a blessing or to forgive someone who has clearly wronged me.
If you’re seeking revenge on someone in your life, meditate on these encouraging verses and allow God to fill you with his wisdom, peace, and hope as you trust in Him!
Here’s 10 Verses for When You Feel Like Getting Revenge-
1. Are you in an emotional prison today and held captive by the pain another has caused you? Release it and allow God’s love to soften your heart.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. ~Proverbs 10:12
2. We are meant to be peacemakers- look for ways to bless those who have hurt you.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ~1 Peter 3:9
3. Pray and ask the Lord for protection and leave revenge in God’s hands.
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.” ~Romans 12:19
4. Let God do the judging – and we do the loving.
The Lord will judge his people. ~Hebrews 10:30
5. Once bitterness takes root in our hearts, it always leads to sin. We must trust God to take revenge on those who have hurt us and others, rather than taking matters into our own hands.
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. ~Proverbs 20:22
6. Moving forward from hurt and pain is an ongoing process. When we see this person’s face, we may struggle again to forgive – and we may have to continue to fight to forgive over and over and over.
Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” ~Matthew 18:21-22
7. Most good things in life do not come quickly or easily. We must be willing to patiently wait for God to open doors and answer prayers and in the meantime, live a life that is glorifying to God by doing good to others.
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ~1 Thessalonians 5:15
8. There is a time to speak up, and a time to be silent. Seek God’s wisdom on when, and if, you should respond back to someone.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. ~Isaiah 53:7
9. Have you specifically prayed for the person who has hurt you? There is so much power in prayer!
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. ~Matthew 5:44
10. Forgiveness…it can be so very hard. We want to fight for justice, for truth to win, for consequences to fit the crime and wrongs to be righted- but we must forgive as God has forgiven us.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:31-32
What our enemies choose to do is out of our hands. Their hatred is from the devil but Jesus calls us to love our enemies. Love is always more powerful than hate because hate is destructive and leads to death but love is life giving to both the person giving the love and the enemy.
Rather than retaliating and getting revenge on our enemies, we need to wait on God. May integrity and uprightness be lived out in our lives as we wait on God to answer our prayers. These two qualities are safeguards. They protect us from needless harm. When we retaliate against an offense, we can end up in a worse spot than when we began. When we are honest and act honorably, we avoid much trouble.
Know that God hears you and is your refuge and strength. Wait on the Lord and as you wait, live with integrity and uprightness and do the next right thing. Keep walking with the King!
Do you want to print these verses? Click here to open the free printable.
If you’re looking to study this topic further, I would recommend the book of 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel shows us that we have a God who never forgets us, who calls us His children, and who is full of mercy.
To find all the free Bible Study Resources for
the book of 2 Samuel – along with a free video series —–> CLICK HERE!
