How to Deal With Anger, Bitterness and Retaliatory Intentions

Daily Devotional – Sunday, November 19, 2023
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 19:18 (NKJV)

The preacher I had invited to speak to prison inmates shocked me when he stated that his sermon would deal with anger and revenge. I feared the kind of response the sermon would elicit, considering many inmates, especially those unlawfully convicted, have a difficult time forgiving their accusers.

Confronting Vengeance

By the end of the sermon, though, I realized my fear was unwarranted. The young preacher made an appeal to all those who harbored anger and retaliatory intentions to step forward for prayer. As I prayed and interceded for those who had responded to the altar call, I realized the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully among us and healing was taking place.

Later, when I reflected on the sermon and its effect on the inmates, I realized those who came forward were ready to shed off a burden they had carried for some time. I gathered from the inmates’ church leaders that some of the hurting people had been waiting for the day they would leave jail to go and take revenge on their accusers, family, and so on.

You Shall not Bear any Grudge against Your Neighbor

Was that desire for vengeance strange? No. That is why God directs, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18). This verse contrasts vengeance and grudges on the one hand with love for one’s neighbor on the other.

My encounter with repentant inmates, touched by the grace of God to forgive their perceived enemies, reminded me that only God can inculcate in us the willingness and capacity to overcome bitterness, anger, and the desire to revenge. When the Spirit of God breaks our stubborn attachment to retribution, He imbues us with divine peace, which helps us let go of our hurt feelings.

How to Deal With Anger, Bitterness, and Retaliatory Intentions

To deal effectively with anger, bitterness, and retaliatory intentions, ask God for forgiveness and for power and willingness to forgive those who have hurt you. Allow His peace to fill your heart so that you may love the person who caused you pain instead of hitting back. As you continue communicating with Jesus through prayer and Bible study, He will replace your vengefulness with love for the unlovable.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, take away my bitterness and vengefulness and flood my heart with your love and peace instead.