On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof walked into a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, opened fire, and murdered nine people. Roof, a self-professed white supremacist, was found guilty on 33 counts and sentenced to death. Remarkably, several of the family members impacted by the tragedy came forward and voiced a willingness to forgive the shooter.
Ethel Lance was one of the victims gunned down by Roof. When her daughter, Nadine Collier, came face to face with Roof, she said through tears, “I forgive you … You took something really precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again, I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you and have mercy on your soul.”[1]
For most people, it’s instinctual to want to pay back someone who has caused us harm. If another person has caused damage to you or your family, it creates justified anger that longs for swift justice. But the book of Proverbs warns against retaliation:
“Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you” (Prov. 20:22).
Instead of retaliating, God’s people are to wait for Him to deal with the matter. When we retaliate, we place ourselves in the position of judge and jury. This is a mistake because only God has that authority.
Waiting for justice is difficult. As we wait for God to deal with our offenders, it’s wise to remember that He is a God of justice. All sins we commit and those committed against us will be addressed. Every sin ever committed will either be covered by the blood of Christ or will separate the offender from God for eternity. As Christ-followers, we must trust God to deal with our offenders. This is easier said than done, especially if the sin committed against us was particularly grievous.
We all know or have heard of people who’ve had heinous crimes committed against them by the hands of offenders who don’t show any remorse. But in God’s wisdom, He knows the burden of retaliation is too much for us to bear. We have to set our desire to retaliate at the foot of the cross and trust that God will deal with it in due time. Dealing with sin is not our job; it’s God’s. Paul wrote in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Although it’s tempting to believe retaliating against our offender will make us feel better, the truth is it won’t. In fact, retaliating has the potential to make us more like our offenders. As Christ-followers, we don’t have the option of participating in evil, even if someone has done evil to us.
Thoughts To Ponder:
What is your initial response when someone sins against you?
Do you believe God is just and will deal with all offenses?
[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2019/06/17/emanuel-explores-power-forgiveness-after-charleston-church-massacre/1478473001/
