Seeking JusticeSample

The Avenger

An avenger is one who acts out revenge, the practical application of the concept of vengeance. An avenger takes responsibility for punishing wrongdoers by inflicting harm on them.

God is righteous. We are made in His image, which means we have a desire for things to be right. The problem is that we often need clarification about whose job it is to make things right.

When we try to serve as avengers, it simply doesn’t work. We are prone to confuse true righteousness with our selfish ambition or inaccurate perspective. Justice is not served when we react to evil in pride. The key to real justice is recognizing the maximum authority—God.

As hard as it may be, we must leave justice to God. Trusting God requires that we trust Him to be our Avenger. The Lord says in Romans 12:19, “I will repay.” Leaving wrath for Him to avenge, in His time and His way, is simply trusting God will do what He says.

By setting aside our need for personal vengeance, we strengthen our character. We trust God by taking Him at His word. And we love others by slowing our world’s rampant cycle of pain.

When we react, we are ceding control to our agitator. We are focusing on the priority of the agitator rather than on our mission. By not reacting violently, we allow time for emotions to calm, to refocus our mission, and to pursue the best for others.

When we allow God His proper place as Avenger, we not only recognize reality but lean into practicality. We avoid ceding control to those who seek harm.

What will God’s vengeance look like? God will decide. It might look like Him dying in our place. Or theirs. It might look like grace, love, and forgiveness. And that should be a cause for rejoicing.

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