Retaliation does Not Pay

 

Retaliation does Not Pay

True story: Happily, as a 5-year-old girl, I skipped down the sidewalk until a bump in the sidewalk, caused me to fall and I skinned my knee and hurt my pride.

How does the mind of a young child work? Sometimes the young innocent mind – a mind without wisdom due to inexperience and learning, and not using good old common sense, which is often learned later in life as a person matures.

Anyway, in my young mind, I was hurting from the fall and blood all over my knee, and it was all the sidewalk's fault. I decided to retaliate and teach the sidewalk a lesson. I would hit the sidewalk because it needed a good slap for causing me to fall and skin my knee. 

 I decided to punish the offender with “pay back.”

So, I raised my hand and brought my hand down with a good hard slap to teach the sidewalk not to hurt me again. Ouch that stung and really hurt me like crazy.

I did not understand. I was trying to injure the offender, but only ended up hurting myself.

That was a painful lesson to me, and it taught me to take responsibility for my own actions and realize retaliation only hurts me and not the offender.

Now the fact is that in life there are many opportunities to hold grudges, become bitter, and unforgiving, but the best thing we can do for ourselves is to forgive the offender, and to allow God to do the payback, and God surely will- - (as long as you do your part – which is to forgive, let it go, and repent from your personal bitterness and pride.)

Katie Souza's book “Be Revived” – chapter 9 speaks about the spirit of Leviathan, that will take advantage of a person physically and place on them terrible afflictions, because of harboring bitterness and pride in their soul. 

Leviathan cannot be cast out by deliverance, and the only way to gain relief is to acknowledge that you are bitter, angry and are holding unforgiveness toward a person or persons. 

 Then tell God that you repent and are willing to forgive the person who caused you to be bitter and angry. Then ask God to take his sword and go after the offender and allow God to take care of it for you.