Happy Sunday everyone!


Today we are going to look at the differences between revenge, vengeance, and forgiveness.

Revenge- when you try to get back at someone for a wrong thing they did to you.

Proverb 24:29

Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.”



Human nature wants to seek revenge. It's like a reflex action. When someone does something bad to us, we want to pay back. Sometimes, we might overlook, but when it hurts us, we want to get our pound of flesh.

But seeking revenge comes with lots of cons, which is why God asks us to leave it to Him.

He is the master planner, He knows how to do it in such a way that only the person who wrongs us gets the punishment.

But when we take it upon ourselves to revenge, most times, we end up hurting ourselves too.

Scenario

My younger brother came back one day and was fuming, saying, "I must join the military." At first, I thought it was his normal rant because he has had that ambition for a long time. But then, I wonder why he was angry. "Did something happen?"

He narrated how a group of touts just picked on him for no reason and when he tried to defend himself, one hit him with a plank at the back of his head.

I saw the swell at the back of my brother's head and I went berserk. In my rage, I said, "You're still waiting for when you will enter the military, call so so the person and enter barracks now." He left.

When he came back, he looked happy. What happened? He gave me the story of how they got soldiers that went there, beat up the boys, and took some of them to the guard room.

"Wait, you went there with them? What if someone had hit you?" He tried to explain how that won't happen as he is prepared. And then he said they were going there tomorrow. "Going where? Please, don't go anywhere o. I have a feeling they will retaliate. I had to dissuade him from going there the next day.

You see, I was only thinking of my anger, my brother's anger, and revenge. In the fit of my anger, I didn't think of what could go wrong. I didn't think of how my brother could get harmed. I was just concentrating on revenge. God will never have such myopic thinking.

Another scenario

A friend of mine, the one I wrote of in one of my threads got me a job in one of the departments in the barracks before he got posted. The only problem was that the post wasn't approved yet because the new commandant was yet to settle down.

The head of the department was a married man who will always call my phone in the night to say all sorts of rubbish. Now, this man will not say anything when I'm in the office, it's when I've gotten home at night.

I so much loved the job, like it was a flexing job. I was handling a new program they had just initiated, there was free lunch with champagne, and closing hours was three. I wasn't too keen on giving it up. And by that time my friend had been posted.

What I do is when he calls, I'll listen for a few minutes then cut and switch off my phone. I'll then call in the morning and tell him my battery was low. This went on for some time until I decided I've had enough.

I picked his call that night, when he started talking, I cut the call. He called back, I didn't pick. He kept calling until he got tired. I didn't go to work that day, and he didn't call to find out. I knew it was over. But my heart was set on revenge.

I had some documents regarding the program with me. Now, I'm not going into details of what I did, because it's kind of sensitive. But just know there was a full-blown investigation and it took the grace of God for it not to get linked to me.

You know those Indian films when someone wants to get caught for something they did, and at that very moment something takes the attention of everyone giving the person a chance to destroy evidence, that's what happened to me.

God was so merciful to me even in my foolishness. That single act would have gotten me in a lot of trouble. But you see even my revenge didn't even yield fruits. The program flourished.

Vengeance- when you ask and leave it to God to fight on your behalf.


Psalms 149:7
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, [and] punishments upon the people;

Romans 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Most times, we ask for vengeance from God when people who wrong us are untouchable. They are probably more powerful or inaccessible.

Scenario

Now, there was nothing I could do personally to hurt this man. The ones I tried failed. In fact, I was passing through the office one day and saw that not only have they painted the office, but they had also opened a new office for the program I was handling. I was distraught.

I remember going home that day and telling God, "Prove to me that I was not a fool for ignoring that man."

Months later, I went out to get something and someone called my name. It was him. He sure wasn't looking as fresh as he did. So I asked if everything was fine. That was when he told me how the department was closed down, both the main department and the new program. The official car and driver was taken.

He also said he was evicted from the accommodation they had provided him. He was now spending money staying in a guest house as he was yet to find a new apartment. Note that his family, though separated was in the East.

Good for you, I said in my mind. But I couldn't help but feel pity for him. He was looking weak and tired. He said he was now a real estate agent though.

Forgiveness- when you don't dwell on the wrong someone did to you.

Ephesians 4:31-32 – Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 17:9 – Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

Forgiveness means forgiving people irrespective of what they've done to you and how many times they've wronged you. We are talking about 70*7 every day!

Forgiveness is for those who want to be like Christ. Specifically asking God for vengeance is like living in the old testament time. Forgiveness in Christianity. It's definitely not easy.


For someone like me, I've had people betray me. My immediate elder brother is one of them. In short, he had the habit of betraying me and I've forgiven him countless times. But the last he did, was just terrible. And I couldn't bring myself to forgive him. I stopped talking to him too.

To me, he was to blame for all the terrible things that happened to me while I was in school. I held on to the grudges and accused him before God, and he suffered.

Whenever I heard something good has happened, like devil the accuser, I accused him. It went on like this until I started drawing close to God. Along with everyone that had wronged me, I started trying to forgive him. It wasn't easy.

Sometimes I'll think I have forgiven him, but I just needed to remember what he did, and I'll go back to square one.

Then I started praying for him. I prayed for his forgiveness, success, protection, and then I saw it was easy to forgive him.

That was when I understood why God said we should pray for those who hurt us. You will find it difficult to keep bearing grudges when you pray for them.

Luke 6:28

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Forgiveness is not easy, especially when someone does something gruesome to you. It could be wrong accusations, rape, killing your child, sleeping with your spouse, etc.

But the grace of God makes all things easy, which is why we should always depend on God for strength.

Tell God to heal your heart. You can only forgive when the wounds are healed. It is why I told a nairalander who said he became a hardened criminal when his mother accused him of stealing, "Thank God for healing your heart."

Did I benefit from forgiving my brother? Of course. He called me on my birthday and sent almost a 100k to me. This is something he has never done in his life.

Let us all try to forgive one another so that we can also obtain mercy from God. We all have our negative sides. And we strive for perfection every day. Let's help each other strive for that perfection, and let God take care of those that need punishment.

what's with the religious quotes recently?

BadRadio:
what's with the religious quotes recently?

Religious quotes?

Nooil:


Religious quotes?

Yes ! You are going biblical.

or do I say biblical verses?

BadRadio:
Yes ! You are going biblical.

or do I say biblical verses?

I don't understand. Shouldn't I add Bible quotes?

Nooil:


I don't understand. Shouldn't I add Bible quotes?

lol. It's good. Makes me love u more.

BadRadio:
lol. It's good. Makes me love u more.

It's good you have the love of God in your heart

Nooil:


It's good you have the love of God in your heart

what's that suppose to mean? You self- acclaimed righteous hypocrite. Dont rub it in okay. stop casting stones because you have never been better than the person standing next to you. so shut up!

though I may be playful but I know when a person is trying to be sarcastically insensitive with unpalatable insinuations.


Be warned !

BadRadio:
what's that suppose to mean? You self- acclaimed righteous hypocrite. Dont rub it in okay. stop casting stones because you have never been better than the person standing next to you. so shut up!

though I may be playful but I know when a person is trying to be sarcastically insensitive with unpalatable insinuations.


Be warned !

I told you we were going to fight, didn't I?

Nooil:



I told you we were going to fight, didn't I?

Get real. stop pretending!

BadRadio:
Get real. stop pretending!

BadRadio, if only you could tame your temper, you'll be one of the best people in the world. Fight your Gemini evil twin. Fight it.

Nooil:




BadRadio, if only you could tame your temper, you'll be one of the best people in the world. Fight your Gemini evil twin. Fight it.

Get real and stop Faking it all. Not good for u, Hypocrite !

Nooil:




BadRadio, if only you could tame your temper, you'll be one of the best people in the world. Fight your Gemini evil twin. Fight it.

Your sly, dishonest, fake and exploitative nature will cost you goodluck and fortune. You were supposed to have surpassed where u are right now but your flaws has always been your stumbling block.

BadRadio:
Your sly, dishonest, fake and exploitative nature will cost you goodluck and fortune. You were supposed to have surpassed where u are right now but your flaws has always been your stumbling block.

Ok. Bye!

BadRadio:

You know the last time was proud and egoistical, now it's sly, dishonesty, fake, exploitative... Wow! I'm taking notes.

Nooil:



You know the last time was pride and egoistical, now it's sly, dishonesty, fake, exploitative... Wow! I'm taking notes.

Good learner

BadRadio:
Good learner

Oh, he said something good about me. Hallelujah!

Finally is out glory be to God
Miracle Signs & Wonders
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https://mino.notjustok.com/track/450157/new-procaimer-miracle-signs-wonders

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