Who is Your Avenger?

My first Bible I got when I was 6, and my first cross pendant I got when I was 10.

When you google Avengers you will find pictures of a movie with Super Heros. Have you ever tried to avenge yourself? How did that work out for you? Well, since there really aren't any super heroes that are Avengers, then who is our Avenger. This all was put into perspective for me yesterday when I heard the verdict in the trial regarding the murder of Chris Kyle. It's been just a little over two years that the former Navy Seal and sniper was killed, as well as his friend Chad Littlefield. Chad's Mom came out to give a brief statement after the verdict was read, which said "We've waited two years for God to get justice for us on behalf of our son". That really reminded me of the verse: 

Romans 12:18-20New King James Version (NKJV)18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”[b]

This grieving Mom seems to understand that justice and vengeance is not for us, but for God! When we seek our own justice and vengeance then we really are seeking to take God's role as the Avenger, and we give place in our lives to not only wrath but bitterness and resentment. God is the ultimate Avenger! He is the only one that can rightly judge the hearts and motives of people, and He will give each the proper punishment. When we hold onto that wrath, bitterness, and resentment than we are actually enslaved to the acts of the person we are seeking vengeance against.

It was my own Mom that taught me this lesson about God's vengeance. We found out my Mom had pancreatic cancer in September of 1995. She had radiation and chemotherapy to try to reduce the tumor in her pancreas before they would try to do surgery to remove it. As soon as she finished her last session of chemo in Houston I drove her back with me to Dallas to stay for several weeks in order to try to build up her strength before her operation in November. I have some of my best memories with her during that drive to Dallas, but one memory was a life lesson that I will never forget.

I was passing an 18 wheeler on I-45 when a black pick-up truck behind me began riding my bumper. I sped up a little, but was already going over the speed limit so I didn't want to go too much faster. The black truck then began to honk at me, and she was really starting to tick me off. The truck was so close behind me that I could actually see that it was a woman, and I could also see her screaming at me. I got over into the other lane as soon as I could so the black truck could go by me. As the truck passed me she was flipping me off, and actually had her window down yelling at me. I was so mad that I was going to follow her and get her license number. My Mom just held my arm and quoted Romans 12:19 to me "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord". I told my Mom that she really needs to be reported, but my Mom insisted that the Lord would take care of it. I just said "ok, Lord take care of it". We drove about 5 miles down the road and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. That black truck was pulled over by a police car, and the policeman was having her get out of the truck. My Mom and I looked at each other, and my Mom said "See, God's word is always true".

That was a huge lesson for me, because it really made me realize how upset I was for nothing. When we hold onto things for ourselves because we think we need to seek vengeance than we are really putting ourselves at risk. It gave me a visual picture of that, because this woman was so out of control that trying to seek my own vengeance could only escalate the situation. It reminded me that we are only responsible for our own actions in this life, and we aren't responsible at all for the actions of others. When we choose to let God be our avenger, then we can be released from harmful emotions, as well as free from any control of Satan.

If you don't understand how this applies in our every day lives. This is most applicable in our marriages as women can tend to remember and hold onto things for many years. I used to be a wife that would purposefully hurt my husband when I felt deeply hurt by him instead of talking to him. I still can fall into that occasionally, but if I love him I will never seek to purposefully hurt him. I have seen this many times in couples when I counsel them, and have seen a husband do this as well when he was deeply hurt set out to purposefully hurt his wife. It is a huge marriage killer, and friendship killer as well. Love is not a noun, but a verb. It takes daily action to love with the kind of love that the Bible talks about. Our spouses, friends, and family members can feel like our enemies, it is so much harder than loving those who are kind to us. It takes prayer, and conscious effort to have that kind of love.

Luke 6: 31-33  Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you. what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

How is God's vengeance possible:

1. Prayer for the person(s). (Matthew 5:44)
2. Trust that God is the greatest Avenger. (Romans 12:19)
3. Trusting that God's Word and His promises are true. (Hebrews 10:23)
4. Prayer for God to have vengeance, and releasing it to Him. (Romans 12:19)
5. Taking control of your thoughts about that person, and not letting thoughts of vengeance take control of your mind. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
6. Praying that God would take away all anger, bitterness, resentment, wrath, and rage. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
7. Allowing yourself to forgive that person so that you can be free from them, but knowing that it doesn't absolve them from what they did. Forgiving doesn't equal forgetting. (Matthew 6:12)
8. Asking yourself what you want to be known for; as a resentful, bitter, and vengeful person...or a loving, caring, and forgiving person. (James 1:2-4)
9. Realize that it is Satan that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. It is God that wants to give us life more abundantly. (John 10:10)

I don't know a lot about the Littlefield family, but Mrs. Littlefield's statement spoke volumes to me that she is someone that trust God to bring vengeance for the death of her son. That tells me that she rest in knowing that her son's killer has been brought to justice, and will continue to be brought to justice. Only God can bring ultimate justice that promises true and full restitution for all hurt, and everything that has been lost. I pray that the families will have peace to know that it's all in God's hands! Both my Mom and Chad Littlefield's Mom have helped to teach me that there is only one true Avenger, who is the only one that can know the hearts and minds of those accused. I can rest in God's promise that He will avenge and repay for ALL wrongs. 

DISCLAIMER:  While I do support a veteran who was responsible for saving countless military lives, and helping to protect our freedoms, I was excruciatingly disappointed in the movie "American Sniper". I'm so grateful for Chris Kyle's service in combat, his families sacrifice, his work to help vets after his service, and I feel like in many ways he is a hero. I can't be supportive though of this movie as a Christian for it's content of language, bing drinking, premarital sex, and even how other people use it to celebrate the taking of any human life. Chris Kyle says it's about God, Country, Family, then when he says God first I would hope that he is talking about the love of God's commands. When God talks about our love for Him, He always refers to our love for God in conjunction with obedience to His commands. The Bible tells us clearly not to let any unwholesome word proceed from our mouth (Ephesians 4:29), to not be drunk with alcohol (Proverbs 20:1; Ephesians 5:18), and do not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). There is a character in the movie that talks about how Chris Kyle carries a small Bible around with him (that he stole from church when he was young), and makes a comment that he carries it around but has never seen him read it. The Bible says to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only (James 1:22). I realize that no one is perfect, and that God forgives us of all our sins when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but I just feel that when I've heard silence on these things it's like condoning it as Christian principles. I do not want anyone to mistake my support of the verdict as a support for the movie!