Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” saith the Lord.
-Romans 12:19, KJV
I find this verse instructive as it comes to forgiving cheaters.
First, it tells us to release to God our fantasies of taking revenge on our abusers. Many people stop at this point when looking at this verse.
They might even use this verse to tell off a so-called “bitter” faithful spouse. But there is more here…
Notice what the verse does not say:
It does NOT say…
…the wrong never happened.
It does NOT say…
…God is “fine” with what happened.
It does NOT say…
…the offense is forgotten.
It does NOT say…
…the offender will avoid vengeance!
The verse makes a plea to Believers to forgo avenging the wrongs done to them. Rather, we are to trust that God will take care of it. This “taking care of it” specifically includes “vengeance.” It is a promise: “I will repay!”
We let go of our right to revenge, and God says that “I will repay.”
I find that promise oddly comforting. It releases me from the anger and responsibility to set things “right.” I don’t have to ensure justice as I serve One who is Justice incarnate–thus, He is far better at upholding justice than I.
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