Silas
Beloved of All
Your words show the painful tension of wanting justice and wanting peace at the same time, and that is a very human place to be. It hurts to be wronged, and it is natural to want the truth to come out and to want those who hurt you to feel the weight of what they did. It is also right to want to let go and to have peace again.
Scripture speaks to both of those desires. God is a God of justice and righteousness and He wants what is true and fair to prevail. When truth is fallen and fairness seems far away, He still sees and He still cares. At the same time His word tells us that the way of peace is not found in holding on to the wrong. There is no lasting peace while we hold on to a demand for payback.
That is why we are told to pursue peace with all people as far as it depends on us, and to pursue holiness. We are warned to watch carefully that no root of bitterness grows up inside us, because that root will trouble us and it will spread and defile many around us. Bitterness may start as a desire for justice, but if it stays it becomes a weight that keeps us from peace.
Part of the struggle is understanding justice and mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. In our hurt we often want justice for others and mercy for ourselves, but if God gave any of us only justice we would all be without hope. Mercy and truth met together and righteousness and peace kissed each other in the person of Jesus Christ. On the cross the penalty was paid so that God could remain just and still be merciful. That is the only ground on which any of us can have peace with God, and it is the same ground on which we can find peace toward others.
This does not mean what happened to you does not matter or that truth does not matter. God loves truth and He will bring what is hidden into the light in His time and His way. You can trust Him to handle what is His to handle as the righteous judge. Your part is not to carry the burden of making them pay or making them need you. Your part is to bring your heart to God honestly.
Forgiveness is not a matter of counting how many times or trying to force a feeling. It is a matter of the heart and of the spirit. God commands it and He will give you the capacity for it if you are willing, but you must be willing. A forgiveness that says I forgive but I will not let go is not complete. When God forgives, it is total and complete, as though the sin were washed away. He invites us to learn that same kind of release, not because the hurt was small, but because we have been so greatly forgiven.
If you want to let go, bring that very desire to the Lord. You can pray honestly, Lord, I am hurt and I am bitter. I want to see vindication, but I also want peace. Give me a spirit of forgiveness. Take away this bitterness and this unforgiving spirit. Help me to be willing to release these people into Your hands. That prayer for willingness is often the beginning of real freedom.
God wants peace with you and He has made a way for peace through Jesus. The peace He gives is not just the absence of conflict with others, but a deep settled confidence that He is in control even when things are not fair. It is a peace that goes beyond understanding and can guard your heart and mind when turmoil is still around you.
So keep asking God for truth to be known in His way, but ask Him even more to do a work of mercy in you. Ask Him to keep your heart from bitterness, to help you live at peace as far as you are able, and to fill you with His peace as you trust Him with the outcome. He hears you, He sees what was sown, and He is able to deliver your soul into peace and to make you whole again as you walk with Him.
Scripture speaks to both of those desires. God is a God of justice and righteousness and He wants what is true and fair to prevail. When truth is fallen and fairness seems far away, He still sees and He still cares. At the same time His word tells us that the way of peace is not found in holding on to the wrong. There is no lasting peace while we hold on to a demand for payback.
That is why we are told to pursue peace with all people as far as it depends on us, and to pursue holiness. We are warned to watch carefully that no root of bitterness grows up inside us, because that root will trouble us and it will spread and defile many around us. Bitterness may start as a desire for justice, but if it stays it becomes a weight that keeps us from peace.
Part of the struggle is understanding justice and mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. In our hurt we often want justice for others and mercy for ourselves, but if God gave any of us only justice we would all be without hope. Mercy and truth met together and righteousness and peace kissed each other in the person of Jesus Christ. On the cross the penalty was paid so that God could remain just and still be merciful. That is the only ground on which any of us can have peace with God, and it is the same ground on which we can find peace toward others.
This does not mean what happened to you does not matter or that truth does not matter. God loves truth and He will bring what is hidden into the light in His time and His way. You can trust Him to handle what is His to handle as the righteous judge. Your part is not to carry the burden of making them pay or making them need you. Your part is to bring your heart to God honestly.
Forgiveness is not a matter of counting how many times or trying to force a feeling. It is a matter of the heart and of the spirit. God commands it and He will give you the capacity for it if you are willing, but you must be willing. A forgiveness that says I forgive but I will not let go is not complete. When God forgives, it is total and complete, as though the sin were washed away. He invites us to learn that same kind of release, not because the hurt was small, but because we have been so greatly forgiven.
If you want to let go, bring that very desire to the Lord. You can pray honestly, Lord, I am hurt and I am bitter. I want to see vindication, but I also want peace. Give me a spirit of forgiveness. Take away this bitterness and this unforgiving spirit. Help me to be willing to release these people into Your hands. That prayer for willingness is often the beginning of real freedom.
God wants peace with you and He has made a way for peace through Jesus. The peace He gives is not just the absence of conflict with others, but a deep settled confidence that He is in control even when things are not fair. It is a peace that goes beyond understanding and can guard your heart and mind when turmoil is still around you.
So keep asking God for truth to be known in His way, but ask Him even more to do a work of mercy in you. Ask Him to keep your heart from bitterness, to help you live at peace as far as you are able, and to fill you with His peace as you trust Him with the outcome. He hears you, He sees what was sown, and He is able to deliver your soul into peace and to make you whole again as you walk with Him.
