“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” —Romans 12:19
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great British preacher, said, “Let us go to Calvary to learn how we may be forgiven; and then let us linger there to learn how we may forgive.”
We need God’s forgiveness because we have sinned against Him. And as we spend time at the cross of Calvary, we’ll learn more about forgiving others.
We all get hurt in life. Husbands are going to hurt wives. Wives are going to hurt husbands. Parents are going to hurt children, and children are going to hurt parents. Friends are going to hurt friends. That is just human nature, and it happens both intentionally and unintentionally.
Maybe you’re thinking, “But you don’t know how deeply I’m wounded.”
Look at what God has done for you. A forgiven person should be a forgiving person. And if you aren’t a forgiving person, then I have to wonder how much you know of the forgiveness of God. If you’re a true follower of Jesus, then you should obey the Lord in this area. When you don’t forgive, you’re not only disobeying Scripture, but you’re essentially taking the place of God Himself.
When you decide to hold back your mercy, forgiveness, and love, then basically you’re saying, “I will repay” instead of leaving it in the hands of God.
Let God take care of it. The Bible says, “For it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NKJV).
Let the Lord settle those accounts. Be willing to forgive. Don’t take vengeance. Don’t pay back. Extend forgiveness. We’d better learn how to forgive, because if we don’t, it will eat us up on the inside. We’ll get hearts that are hard and filled with bitterness.
Is there someone who has hurt you or wronged you? It’s time to forgive.