Day 10 — Don’t Get Even

“Do not say, ‘I will avenge this evil!’ Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”

— Proverbs 20:22 (BSB)

Someone trips you in the hallway, and everybody laughs. A kid on the other team takes a cheap shot. Your brother breaks something of yours on purpose. A friend spreads a lie about you.

What’s the first thing you want to do? Get even. Pay them back. Make them sorry.

That feeling is really strong, especially for guys. Sometimes guys think that if you don’t get even, you look weak. Everyone will think they can push you around.

But Proverbs says something different: “Do not say, ‘I will avenge this evil!’ Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.”

To avenge means to take revenge, to pay someone back for what they did. God says, Don’t do it. Let Me handle it.

Why?

Revenge never ends. If you hit back, they’ll hit back harder, and on and on. Revenge doesn’t stop the fight. It keeps it going.

Revenge turns you into the bad guy. Now you’re the one doing wrong.

God is the perfect judge. He sees everything that happened. He’s fair. And He promises to make things right in His way and His time. You don’t have to carry that job.

Not getting even doesn’t mean you let people keep hurting you. If someone is bullying you or hurting you, tell a trusted adult: a parent, teacher, coach or school counselor. That’s not being weak. That’s being wise. It’s letting the right people handle it instead of taking matters into your own hands.

It also doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt. You can be honest with God about how angry you are. David did that all the time in the Psalms!

But then you let it go. You “wait on the LORD.” You trust Him to take care of it.

It takes a lot more strength to walk away than to throw a punch. Anybody can hit back. Only a strong guy can choose not to.

Think about it: Why do you think getting even feels so good in the moment? What usually happens afterward?

Try this: The next time someone wrongs you, instead of planning how to get back at them, pray, “God, I’m giving this to You.”

Dear God, when people hurt me, I want to get even. Help me leave revenge to You. Give me the strength to walk away, the wisdom to tell a grown-up when I need help, and the faith to trust You to make things right. In Jesus’ name, Amen.