Have you ever been wronged, hurt, demeaned, cast aside, or forgotten? Of course you have. That is human nature. It is part of the human experience. Somebody cuts us off on the road, supposed friends criticize our every move, a colleague does not handle their part on a project, a family member disowns you, a loved partner becomes abusive, or someone you trusted betrays you. People tear each other apart with words, actions, and general carelessness without much of a thought about how this deed will affect others. The issue is that every day that we live in this imperfect world we have the potential and the assurance that we will be hurt by someone else. Luke 17:1 says that offenses will come. Not that you might experience them, but that you will face them. Here is the more uncertain question: How will you handle those offenses when they come?
I struggle with this question because the first thing I want is justice. Just as it is human nature to get hurt, it is human nature to want to get even. However, I don’t want justice delivered by someone else; I want to make sure they feel the exact same loss that I experienced when they belittled me. God says to forgive and He will repay, but when it comes down to forgiveness and justice, I want to decide the roles. God, you forgive them, but I am going to make sure they feel the pain they so obviously deserve.
Oh my, how we have gotten it backwards. Aren’t we supposed to forgive and allow God to be God and to bring justice as He sees fit? In Zechariah 7:9, God says, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”
True justice is not about getting even, but showing the same mercy, the same love, the same peace, and the same patience that God has shown us. Did we deserve His mercy? Absolutely not! Yet, we receive what we did not earn and we are told to go, love people, and do likewise. Our focus should not be on how great the offense is but on how much we have been forgiven.
We may not understand why God delays justice for others' wrongdoing and sometimes crippling actions. Sometimes it is enough to make you question whether you believe in God at all. But remember, you too have sinned against God, and He has been patient to forgive you. Consider that God may be showing others the same patience and love He has shown you.
As you learn to forgive as God has called you, you will experience God’s love. God does not just forget the wrong; in fact, He takes it very seriously. But He has paid the price for us by sending His Son for the forgiveness of sins on the cross, and now we are free from the penalty we so deserve. We have been forgiven!
The God of the Bible is a God of justice and forgiveness. Be faithful to forgive as He has forgiven you, and let God handle the justice the way He wants. Contentment, peace, and life are possible through Him.