Don't Quit

by Bubba Carrier
www.cvillechurch.com

The first time I tried to march and play drums at the same time, I was terrible. When I concentrated on playing a steady beat, I marched out of step; when I focused on marching in line, I played off beat. After the first week, I went to the band director and told him that marching band was not for me and that he shouldn't expect me at any more of the rehearsals. I'll never forget what he said to me "Bubba, I didn't think you were a quitter." That cut through me like a knife.
We don't like to be called quitters, but we sure act like them. We try various hobbies and crafts for a while, and if we don't enjoy them as much as we originally thought we would, we toss them aside and move on to something else. How many have picked up the game of golf only to throw it back down a couple of weeks later? What about attempting to learn a musical instrument? Even those who make a substantial investment in their potential interest ‑ equipment, lessons, accessories ‑ give up after their initial failure.

If we're not careful, we allow this mentality to carry over into our spiritual thinking. With high ambitions and fiery spirits, we march into the battlefield of life full of vigor and ready to conquer anything that crosses our path. Yet the first time our courage is demanded because of some obstacle or hurdle that lies in front of us, we abandon the Lord and run the other way. The excitement that fueled us at first is lost because we recognize that some exertion is required of us or an unanticipated conflict must be resolved. Even those who make a considerable investment in the Lord's work ‑time, energy, resources drop out long before the race is won.

Quitting is easy because it involves no effort, no commitment. The world convinces us that life is self-centered and that we must do anything and everything to make ourselves comfortable and content. This philosophy implies eliminating that which causes discomfort and discord; things like our marriage, our religion, even our own life.

Please reflect on these simple suggestions the next time you encounter the temptation to quit the Lord.

1. Trust in God. Faith is not simply believing in the existence of God, it involves putting your complete confidence and trust in Him. He has promised, "I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). Even in your darkest hour, when it seems that all hope is gone, He is standing by your side, ready to help you overcome your adversaries. Those who abandon Him have not totally surrendered their fears and worries and are attempting to live life on their own. Place your confidence in God that He will lead you through the difficult times and build you up so that you can endure them. If you never forsake Him, He has promised that He will never leave you. Trust Him.

2. Finish what you start. Jesus did. He came to this earth with a mission, to fulfill an incredible plan to save men from their sins, and He did not allow one thing to step in His way not the devil, not the apostles, not the scribes and Pharisees.

Paul told Timothy to 'be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim. 4:5). The young preacher was to expect trials and setbacks, frustrations and anxieties, but he was to endure them with patience and persistence and not give up. Paul knew about hardships; "five times I received from the Jews thirty‑nine lashes, three times was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times was I shipwrecked." (2 Cor. 11:24‑27). Do you think he considered calling it quits a time or two? Yet through it all, he continued to trust in God and that allowed him to finish what he started.

3. Remember the big picture. Heaven is for those who have endured and those who have conquered, not for those who have given up. Since Paul had fought the fight and kept the faith, he was confident in his eternal destiny ‑ "in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8).

Remember where you're going. It's easy to get distracted by the temporal things that this life has to offer; they cause us worry and tempt us to throw in the towel and quit. They make service to God seem less important and perseverance impossible. At the judgment, those who have endured and those who have given up will be separated, and the ones who have kept the faith will receive their crown of life. Won't the temporal things seem so insignificant then?

Consider the poem of Jill Wolf. 'Don't quit when the tide is the lowest, for it's just about to turn, don't quit over doubts and questions, for there's something you may learn. Don't quit when the night is darkest, for it's just a while till dawn; don't quit when you've run the farthest, for the race is almost won. Don't quit when the hill is steepest; for your goal is almost nigh; don't quit, for you're not a failure until you fail to try."

Fight the good fight, finish the course, keep the faith, and whatever you do, don't quit.

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The Blessing and Danger of Humor

by Stephen Rouse

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So, you know what the first car mentioned in the Bible was, right? When the apostles were all in one Accord… Ha. Well, I will say that no matter whether you laughed at that or not, humor is a gift from God and should be used as such (James 1:17). Our ability to laugh, be sarcastic, and simply be light-hearted should be enjoyed and shared as the blessing God intended it to be. However, as with all of God’s blessings, Satan has taken humor out of its God-given role and perverts it to use against us. And he’s doing a mighty good job.

Humor as a Blessing

Used correctly and thoughtfully, humor can be a powerful tool in many areas. Proverbs 17:22 states that, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Humor can certainly be used to make a heart joyful, even for a short amount of time. At the right time, it can be used to brighten someone’s day and encourage them to lift their head when they most need it, which we all need from time to time. While this may not be a purely spiritual form of encouragement, it can certainly help us to face our days with more joy and vigor as we seek to serve the Lord with all the zeal we can muster.

Humor can also be used to soften anger and avoid potential conflict with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Proverbs 15:1 tells us that “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” How many times have we snapped back at someone instead of taking a moment to consider our response to annoyance or aggravation? A well placed humorous comment can often help us to see the folly of our own frustrations and avoid unnecessary conflict with our brethren and those whom we associate with.

Humor also can function as a powerful evangelistic tool. Paul urges the Christians at Colosse to “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Colossians 4:5-6). Humor naturally draws people closer to the one who makes them laugh. If you’re meeting someone for the first time, and they’re able to make you laugh right off the bat, you probably already feel closer and more comfortable with that person. This sharing in laughter can help to build trust and camaraderie in relationships, which is fertile soil for the seed of the gospel.

Humor as a Danger

Though we can see where God has given us our sense of humor to help us through hard times and help our relationships, it must not become a stumbling block to us at the same time. First of all, humor must never take the place of the truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4)! Many of those who claim to proclaim the word of God fill their lessons with little truth but with an abundance of side-splitting anecdotes—which keeps an audience listening, but does nothing for their souls. Once again, there is a balance here, because when it’s used correctly, humor can help open hearts to the truth, but it mustn’t push the truth out.

Satan can also use humor to get us to be dishonest. The fool in Proverbs 26:18-19 is spoken of this way: “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death. So is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, ‘Was I not joking?’” There is a place for being sarcastic and playing tricks on our friends, but let us examine ourselves so that we don’t let our merrymaking turn into sin. It’s easy to let a ‘white lie’ slip for the sake of humor, but when we deceive someone legitimately and mar the truth, God takes it as though we’re throwing “firebrands, arrows, and death.” Don’t let it go too far.

Satan also lets us use humor to avoid confrontation that needs to happen, such as confrontation with our own sin or problems that demand our action. One thing I’ve noted among some peers in high school is some of the funniest people are the people that are hurting the most on the inside. Instead of facing their problems and solving them, they simply laugh it off and hide under their humor to ease the pain—which ultimately will never fix their problem. The preacher in Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 tells us “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting. Because that is the end of every man. And the living takes it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for when a face is sad a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” Let us use humor to comfort one another in sorrow, but not so far as to hide from the reality of the problems that God lets us face.

Perhaps the biggest problem I’ve seen among Christians in dealing with humor is the way Satan uses humor to desensitize us to sin. Paul writes to the Christians at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:3-5, “But immorality or any impurity of greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or course jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” These are serious words, and we must take them seriously when we use words. It’s become too easy to joke about things like drugs, alcohol, and homosexuality. Satan, through television and movies, has used this tactic ruthlessly until we no longer gasp or cringe or feel any kind of repulsion at the sin that is rotting millions of souls all around us. Instead, we laugh. Remember the town drunk in the Andy Griffith show? He was almost always found intoxicated, but he did the ‘funniest’ things. In reality, that lifestyle would destroy him and be something to mourn over, not laugh at. We must examine the things we entertain ourselves with and make sure we’re not letting Satan whittle away at our consciences!

May God help each of us to see humor for the blessing and danger it is, and to use it always to build one another up and to glorify our God!

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When I Was Baptized

by Larry Rouse
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We do not forget great turning points in their lives. It may be the memory of meeting and falling in love with the one that eventually would become our mate. It could be the loss of a parent whose memory continues to inspire us to serve God and never quit. These and other critical points in our lives should both humble us and inspire us to draw more closely to the God that provides for us beyond what we could ever know (Rom 8:28).

The greatest turning point for any of us is the day that we entered into fellowship with the God of heaven. This was a point of our turning from our sins and finding the forgiveness that makes a relationship with God possible (Acts 3:19, 26).

I often think back to the situations that led me to that decision to turn to Jesus Christ. It is good for me to remember the rejoicing and the new direction that I found in my life. It was like I myself had died and come back to life (Rom 6:2-5). This turning point transformed my life and led me down paths that I never thought I would take. To this very day my life is filed with newness and an awareness that my future paths are determined by a living faith which looks for doors of opportunity that the Lord may place before me.

Why our memory is important

Over time we can drift from our relationship with God to the point that we are caught up in a mindless and heartless “going through the motions.” A living faith must continually be growing, adding, and fighting or it is dead. Peter points out why some fail to add to their faith. “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins (2 Peter 1:9). What do you remember about your forgiveness?

A time of darkness and hopelessness

One cannot come to God without first seeing their need. I can remember the masquerade of living in the world and giving the appearance of happiness. The world did provide a series of escapes and highs that left my basic needs unmet. The world’s “purpose” was found in short term pleasure that changed depending upon the desires of the moment (1 John 2:15-17).

The world also had a “carrot and stick” approached to keeping you “in line.” If you were to be accepted by others in the world, then you must accept that there are no real standards and no real “truth.” I learned very quickly that in order to have associations with some people I had to accept their “personal lifestyle” and even become a partaker in it. “In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4).

It did not take me very long to realize that a life with no standards is a life with no purpose. Also I came to realize that those in the world who claimed to be my friends, were in fact ruled by the “god of this age”, and were walking in darkness too (2 Cor 4:4). I sadly knew that they would discard me in a moment.

The bright light of a living faith

Within my own heart I knew that God existed and that He ultimately could erase the pain of an aimless life if I could but find Him. I remember praying a simple prayer to God on a beautiful starry night. “God, please let me come to know You.” This was a serious prayer for light. As I would come to know later, our God will always answer such a prayer (John 7:17, Acts 16:9-10).

My search began with a daily reading of the Bible. As I read, I came upon verses that deeply touched me as they attested to the power of a living faith. The optimism of Paul in the face of adversity astounded me.” For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). This was a verse that I read and reread, marveling at how real purpose and joy can be found regardless of outward circumstances. Was it possible that I might one day have such a faith?

The day of my death

As I continued to read the Bible, I came to see how men received Jesus into their lives. My reading of the book of Acts helped me see how people like me were able to turn from the world to serve a living God. Conversion was no casual process. It was a death! “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Without exception I found that men that would come to Christ had to surrender all. Those at Ephesus that became Christians burned their books of magic and gave up the practice of it which had an enormous monetary consequence for them (Acts 19:19-20). Did they complain about this? No, they would speak as the apostle Paul would about the things he gave up for Christ. “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8).

It was the love of God that showed me that I needed to deal with the issue of my own sin before God. Jesus died on a Roman cross to provide the only possible sacrifice for my sin. It was good news indeed to know that God has provided that which I could never provide on my own. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23).

How was I to receive this free gift? As I read through the book of Acts I plainly saw the answer. “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins… (Acts 2:38). “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Every time one came to believe and turn to Christ in the book of Acts, they were baptized immediately (Acts 8:34-39, 16:30-34).

The day of my baptism was the day that I died. It was a day similar to that of the prodigal son who, because of an utter disgust over his aimless life, came back to his father with nothing to offer but his willingness to be a slave. He just wanted to be with the father that loved him! “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18-19). God responded to my death just like the father of the prodigal did, with a full restoration of fellowship and great rejoicing (Luke 15:20-24).

Why I need to remember

What a joy it is to remember the escape from a terrible slavery to a present life in the grace of God! I need to remember both the darkness of the past and the power of a life with God. “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 5:20-23).

What do you remember?

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The Value of Doubt

by Larry Rouse
www.cvillechurch.com

Late in his ministry John the Baptist sent two disciples to Jesus with this startling question: “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? (Luke 7:19-20)” To the careful Bible student this question makes no sense when you first consider it. John appears to have doubt about a matter that he had earlier expressed great confidence in. Jesus described John as being the greatest of the prophets (Luke 7:28). How can this happen with such a man of faith?
Consider the earlier experiences and statements of John the Baptist. He had witnessed the Holy Spirit come down upon Jesus as a dove and had heard the voice of God from heaven proclaim: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mt 3:17)” Shortly after these events, John boldly proclaimed this eyewitness account to his own disciples. It is from these very men that Jesus would later choose his 12 disciples. Listen to the bold, confident proclamation from John as to the identity of Jesus Christ. “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:32-36)”

Possible Causes of John’s Doubt

The bulk of John’s ministry consisted of his strong preaching to the multitudes in the wilderness. He was an outdoors man described as being clothed in camel hair, and eating wild locusts and honey (Mt 3:4). He was arrested and imprisoned for boldly and accurately teaching the will of God. His stand of faith was exactly the stand God wanted him to make. But now he is isolated and soon would be killed. This sudden change of lifestyle would cause any man great pain. It is at this time that a man of faith would step forward and review the very foundations of his faith.
Another possible cause of doubt would be John’s lack of knowledge of the details and timetable of the execution of God’s plan. He preached boldly of the power of the Messiah and how He would purge Israel of the chaff of unbelievers (Mt 3:7-12). John was like every other prophet that came before him in that he was given a specific, accurate message to deliver, but he was not given all the details. We are told of how both the prophets that spoke of Christ and even the angels from heaven desired to know “the rest of the story” but were not allowed (1 Peter 1:10-12). Did John have a mistaken view of the kingdom as Jesus’ own disciples did? Was he expecting a physical, earthly kingdom? From the outlook of the fleshly eye, the ministry of Christ would appear to be going nowhere.

Is Doubt a Threat to Faith?

Whatever the cause of John’s doubt, we see in his request to Jesus the exact response that a man of faith would have in a moment of doubt --- he brought his doubt to the Lord! Doubt, by itself, is not a threat, but instead, it is an opportunity! The man of faith has learned that when doubt comes, a man is to seek out answers. These answers are not often easily found and will require great energy and suffering. When one runs from his doubts and tries to bury his doubts he is in reality running from a stronger faith. Jesus taught in such a way to make men think, struggle and doubt in order that they might reach the truth of God. When Jesus challenged a man to believe in His ability to free his child from demon possession, the man honestly and tearfully said: ““Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9:23-24)”

Jesus Response to John’s Doubt

Jesus gave John the very evidence he needed to erase his doubt. “And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Luke 7:21-23)”

Can you imagine John hearing the eyewitness testimony of his disciples about the miracles and teaching of Jesus? John knew the prophecies of Christ, given both to the O. T. prophets and also to him. Can you see him as he reviews again this evidence and, as a result, saying: “Yes, Jesus is the Coming One!”?

Did Jesus rebuke and show disappointment in John because of his doubt? No, rather in this very setting Jesus gives John the highest of praise. “When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: …..This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke 7:24-28)”

What About Your Doubt?

What questions about God’s will do you have? Do you have a reasonable foundation to know that Jesus is the son of God and the Bible is His complete revelation (1 Peter 3:15)? Are you running from doubts about the application of God’s will in the local church where you are a member?

Sadly, many churches have taught their members to run from their doubts and to run from an honest examination of the evidence found in the word of God on a multitude of possible questions one may have. This approach will not lead to a stronger faith.

I will never forget the reactions that I received as I studied my way out of denominationalism and later out of a local church that had made some serious compromises. Men threatened me, others ridiculed me, and others gave me “easy answers” thinking that I would swallow them and end my struggle. None of these men helped me to find what I found after a lengthy, painful struggle – a faith upon which I could stand and defend to myself and to others.

From my experience, I have found some who have the weakest faith are the very ones who try to project the greatest confidence. From the Pharisee who scoffed at how anyone could disagree with him, to the one who loudly proclaims God’s grace but lives in sin, these all have one thing in common – they will not open their hearts and test the doubts that actually exist in their hearts with an open Bible. They will, however, try to silence those whom they may disagree by using their tongues to attack or other forms of intimidation.

My prayer for you is that you begin this struggle for a stronger faith and that you will not abandon the struggle. Do not let men enslave you in fear and doubt. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

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The Dark Path of Bitterness

by Larry Rouse
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How is it possible for Satan to defeat and capture a child of God who had previously escaped his grasp? Satan is exposed in the Bible for the deceiver that he is. Jesus described him as having “no truth in him” and as being a “liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). While it is inconceivable for a Christian to ever imagine himself as willingly placing his life under the control of the “evil one,” Satan, in fact, has a strong track record of accomplishing this very thing. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan’s goal is to cut off the word of God from your heart and then drive you by your emotions. The Bible frames the struggle in this way: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:12-13). Over the years I have witnessed many of my brethren destroyed in this manner, and the vast majority were overcome with bitterness and anger.

There is a place for anger! When Jesus asked a straightforward question and received no reply, He looked into their hearts and responded in this way: “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts…”(Mark 3:5). My Lord was angry, but my Lord never sinned. There is a place for anger when it is under control and directed by the principles of God’s word. “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27). We need to be angry when we see sin! But always remember this warning “do not let the sun go down on your wrath,” because a failure to do so will give the devil a place in your heart. And be assured, he will take advantage of it.

Why do so many of my brethren not take uncontrolled anger seriously? I know of too many men that laugh about their temper and others who laugh with them saying “that’s just the way he is.” What does the Bible say? “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). Does this verse get your attention? My eternal life is no laughing matter and anything that could come between me and my God has my attention.

Consider the works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). Did you notice the “anger family” in this passage? While we hear many good sermons on immorality and false doctrine, do we hear that same emphasis on uncontrolled anger? Remember “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The Bible plainly tells us of the difficulty of controlling our anger. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Moses was commended by God above all others for his ability to control his spirit (meekness – Numbers 12:2 ASV), but in a moment of anger he spoke rashly and thus sinned. “They angered Him also at the waters of strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them; Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips” (Psalm 106:32-33). While Moses went to the ultimate Promised Land of God, heaven, he was not able to enter the physical Promised Land because of this one moment of anger.

When we begin to dwell on our hurts and nourish our anger, we are placing ourselves firmly in the hands of Satan. Have you ever tried to reason with an angry person? When you give in to a life of anger you also give up your ability to reason. “A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle” (Proverbs 18:19). The corrupt politician and the false teacher specialize in slander designed to shut down the thinking process. There are many Christians that I have known who, because of their anger towards a man, have quit serving God. What sense does that make? It is like getting mad at the dog and kicking the cat! In short your anger will make you behave as crazy person, unwilling to listen or reason, and ready to fight anyone or anything that gets in the way of your desire for revenge.

Local churches can been devastated by just one man who plants seeds of bitterness. We are warned in the scriptures to be “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). Bitter people often try to build their own personal kingdoms that one has described as “the fellowship of the miserable.” You will be received and flattered by this group as long as you hate whoever the leader hates. I personally have been attacked by such groups for doing nothing more than showing kindness to someone that was an object of another’s anger.

Bitter people will be lost if they do not repent. The greatest evangelists for Satan today are those Christians who plant the seeds of hatred in the church of our Lord.

In time bitter people will burn themselves out and their kingdoms will disband. Sometimes the bitter person will repent and return to the grace of God. Sadly, however, they often are unable to reverse the effects of the angry seeds they planted in the hearts of those that were closest to them. It is in the lives of their friends, and especially in their children, that the harshest fruits of planted bitterness will be seen.

There is a better way. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). You will never regret releasing the desire for vengeance upon those who have hurt you. Our God has pleaded with us in this regard: “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).

Do you really believe in God? Are you really a Christian, willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus? Look carefully at the specific footsteps our God has placed before us: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23). The next time you are tempted to inflict punishment upon your enemy, I hope you will remember the pleading voice of God where He said “vengeance is mine.” If you really trust, God then you will let it go. Please do not allow Satan to do his work through you.

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