When someone betrays us, humiliates us, or deliberately hurts us, every fiber of our being screams for revenge. That burning desire to strike back, to make them pay, to show them they can't mess with us, it's as natural as breathing. But what if God has a radically different plan? Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl explains how letting go of our resentments isn't a weakness. It's the pathway to true freedom described in Romans 12.
When we surrender our battle, We allow God to settle scores in ways we never imagined possible. I am reading a very convicting section of Scripture. You thought Romans 12, 1 and 2 was convicting. It was. And then Romans 12, 3 through 13 convicting, and indeed it was.
But now we come to the section that really does ring the changes. Because there isn't a person that I'm talking to today. who hasn't known the hurt. of someone who has done them wrong. We all have that in common.
some to greater degree than others.
So I'm speaking today not only to myself. But I'm speaking to you. As if you and I were the only ones in the room. You and I. Take it that personally, otherwise, it'll be just sermon number thirty-one.
in a list of sermons in Romans. You need to be transformed in an area of your life that has. lacked attention long enough. You need some habits broken. You need to respond.
in a transforming way rather than a natural way. And God is ready to do that. Your heart's prepared. Romans 12, 14. And then 17 through 21.
Bless those who persecute you. Bless And do not curse. Yeah. Never. Pay back evil.
for evil to anyone. Respect what is right. In the sight of all men. If possible, So far as it depends on you. Be at peace with all men.
Never. Take your own revenge. Beloved. But leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine. I will repay.
Says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, Feed him. And if he is thirsty, give him a drink. or in so doing you will heap Burning coals. on his head.
Do not be overcome by evil. But Overcome evil. with good. You're listening to Insight for Living. To dig deeper into the book of Romans on your own, be sure to purchase our Searching the Scriptures Bible Study Workbook by going to insight.org slash offer.
Chuck titled today's message, Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong. It was Will Rogers, the late actor and author and humorist who once said, I never met a man I didn't like. Can you believe that? I mean, get real, Will.
Some of you ladies are thinking that's because Will Rogers never met my first husband.
Some of you guys going, boy, Will Rogers never met a guy I used to work for. I would say Will Rogers never met Sergeant Fishburne. the United States Marine Corps boot camp. Not even a mother would love, as I recall. Not three-fourths gristle and the wrist backbone.
I mean, get real. All of us have people we don't like. To make it worse, we've got people that don't like us either.
So there is this battle going on. More often in Strange silence than in verbal warfare. But it's there nevertheless. They turn us off. Our stomachs churn when we think of them.
And mentally we have their face on our dart board. What's interesting is, we say we have put them out of our minds, but. They hound us and they Haunt us. Truth be told, We think of them when we wake up and we are thinking of them when we go to bed at night. There's an old seventh century couplet that says He who has a thousand friends has not a friend.
despair And he who has one enemy will meet him. Everywhere. Maybe you have one you've been meeting. everywhere these days. To make it more difficult is that we're Christians.
If we were lost. We could just smack them in the mouth and walk right on, you know? We just cut their lips off and Roll on. But we can't do that. We have Romans 12, 1 and 2.
crawled on the altar. And placed ourselves as a living sacrifice. I'm serious now. We placed ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy, H-O-L-Y. Holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable.
Act of worship. We've done that. We've done that. While there, we have decided that we want our minds renewed, and the Spirit of God is armed and ready to transform our thinking.
So that we think differently than we were raised. Then we were taught. We think in such a way that old habits are broken and And former actions are no longer taken. Its transformed mind. But we keep bumping up against this individual that has done us wrong and keeps doing us wrong.
What do we do?
Now, I could pontificate on that for the next 30 or 40 minutes. It would do no one any good. Rather than doing that, I'd rather start with a story. Let me tell you a story.
So just sit back and listen. It's a true story. It's the story of a handsome, well-built, rugged, outdoorsman kind of. teenager in his mid-years, 15, 16 years old. He's the youngest in a family of eight boys.
He's a shepherd. A sheepherder. One day, his father whistles from the back porch and says, David, David, come in. David walks in, and in this little house where the family of Jesse lives. He finds his brothers in sort of a semicircle.
An old bearded man is there. that he's never seen before, mumbles something strange like I will anoint him, for this is he. And the next thing David knows, he has oil. running down his hair and the back of his neck. The brothers are sort of frowning because it wasn't them.
And words about being the king of Israel. Follow and as quietly as the old man arrived he left. And uh is gone. That's it. There's no coronation, there's no parade, there's no applause.
David slips back out into field and begins to keep his father's sheep again. In the meantime, the one who is anointed king, named Saul. is um slowly losing it. His acts of disobedience along the way. Have rendered him disqualified to serve as the king of Israel, but he remains.
Remember that. He remains on for years. Like over a decade. And little by little he's losing it. Word reaches him through a One of his confidants that there is a young man.
Who plays a fine instrument and might be able to soothe his troubled. conscience and heart and says, Bring him. David moves from the sheep to the the very throne room of the king where he plays his instrument. And the king's heart is soothed. And something happens between the two of them that's Wonderful to imagine.
The battle turns, and the Philistines make a move in the valley of Elah. This vast valley over a mile across with a ravine in the middle. And Saul and the Israel troops are bivouacked on one side and Goliath is on the other. Once again, The father calls David, asks him to take some food to the front lines. David carries the food to the front lines.
He looks out, wonders why everybody's so afraid. And they say, look, and you'll see. David takes the tools with which he's most familiar: a slingshot. And a stone. And he finishes off Goliath.
Man. Who doesn't love that story? I mean, the ground shakes when Goliath falls. And the tremor is heard all across Israel, and his name becomes a household word. Saul has slain his thousands, but David is ten thousands.
And Saul does the math, and he hates him. He hates him. And the scripture says he looked at him with suspicion from that time on. All David's been doing is keeping the sheep. Letting oil be poured on his head.
Playing his instrument. Killing a giant. And now he's the object of Saul's ire.
Well, his celebrity grows. But David's not interested in wine women's songs. He's not interested in that. He's interested in. Honoring God.
He doesn't know what the songs are all about. It's not why he did it, did it? Because he loves God. And you can't figure out why Saul's after him. And all of a sudden, Fluke.
A spear lands right near his face. And within a matter of a brief period of time, he swung another spear. And he realizes this is for real. I gotta get out of here. Saul by now is disintegrating.
H. G.
Wells, in one of his characters, Mr. Polly. describe Saul. He was not so much a human being as a civil war. If you've ever been around someone disintegrating mentally, You know, it's often good to stay out of their way.
They need help. But there's no one to help. David's on his own. After a while he makes his existence possible. in the caves of Engedi.
If you ever go to Israel, be sure your guide takes you to the caves of Engedi. And look in the caves. David slept in many of them. For over a decade. Running from Saul.
1 Samuel 24, there's a turning point in the scene where David has a chance to get back. To get even. Allow me.
Now it came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines. He was told, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engeti. You wonder if Saul was serious? Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek. David.
You know what the mission was? Terminate. David. Don't bring it back alive. And the boots of the soldiers could be heard at the mouths of those caves as David lived.
Wondering. Which time? The soldier would walk in and find him. And he's done nothing wrong. He and a handful of warriors that have teamed up with him.
wondering if they'll ever get out alive.
Now watch closely. They went to seek David and his men in front of the rocks of the wild goats. Verse 3 tells of Saul who came to the sheepfolds on the way where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself.
Okay, I'm just going to give you a moment to picture that. Bible's a real book, doesn't dodge. When nature calls.
So Saul is in a very vulnerable position. What makes it interesting is it is the very cave where David and his men. or hiding. Can you imagine the council day?
Well, you don't have to imagine, you're going to read it. Verse 3 concludes: Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of that cave. The men of David said to him, David, Tapest. David. This is the day which the Lord has made.
Slice his throat. He won't know it till he sneezes.
Sort of a swindall paraphrase of what we're going to read. This is the day which the Lord said to you, Behold, I'm about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you. You know the problem with that? It isn't a verse of scripture. But you always have people around you that misquote things and tell you what you want to hear when it's time to get revenge.
So David hears them and for a moment he yields somewhat. This is where the story gets very interesting. Remember Saul. He doesn't know David's anywhere near. First.
Four. Then David arose And cut off the edge of Saul's robe. Secretly. Imagine what a moment. I love scenes like this.
Saul has no clue. But it bothers Dave. That's where you gotta love him. That's why he's called a man after God's heart. Verse 5: It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe.
I mean, folks, back in those days, they took the king of the land seriously. We who shatter and assault and attack our president. In the days of Israel, they respected the anointed king. even one doing them wrong. And David is bothered.
He said to his men, Far be it from me because of the Lord. That I should do this thing to my Lord, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord's anointed. Can't you hear the men? David, David, get a hold of yourself. We're sick of eating roots.
Drinking from the waterfall. We're sick of these nasty clothes we have to wear day after day. This is your moment. We read David persuaded his men to Take that for what it means. Guys, no, no.
Listen, stop. No. No, we're not going to do that. He persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. What were they saying?
You may feel bad about it, not me. And you'll always have people that'll want to run your errand for you when you don't strike back. This is the best part of the story. Verse 8. Afterward, David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, My lord the king!
King Saul Saul looked behind him. David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks to harm you. Behold, this day your eyes have seen. That the Lord has given you to-day into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you and my and I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for He is the Lord's anointed now, my father.
Look how close they were. That spent months together. My father, C. And he holds up the hem of the garment. He holds up the robe.
This piece he cut off. See? Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you. Know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. Luxol.
That's how close I was to you. And I never drew my knife. to thrust it into you. Verse 15: The Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me. And may he see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.
Please note that. I now leave it with the Lord. I had my moment, and I'm ashamed of what I did in the moment. I yielded, even though it was not. A treacherous thing.
It was a shameful thing. I'm not going there. I'm going to stand and wait. I'm going to trust in God. Look at the response.
Saul. Said Is this your voice, my son David? You are more righteous than I, for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. You have declared today that you have done good to me. That the Lord delivered me into your hand, yet you did not kill me.
For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? Watch. May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.
Now behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. He heard words from Saul he could have never forced with the point of a knife. Saul realizing how much more righteous this young man is than he. says to him, in remarkable vulnerability You deserve the kingdom more than I. Fast forward to the 21st century.
As you turn to Romans chapter 12. and get your pen handy because I am going to give you Principles you will need. And you will claim. In the days ahead. Our focus now falls On the verses in Romans 12 that I read earlier, But a warning is in order.
I need to warn you of something. Not only does the enemy hear everything I'm going to be saying. You're going to be tempted to erase it from your mind because you're going to justify your situation thinking it's unique. You're going to want to push the delete button about the time you put your key in your car. You're gonna say if Chuck only knew what I'm going through, he would have said except for you There is no exception.
I am talking to you. Don't tell me the excuse. I am talking to you. More importantly, God is speaking. to you today.
And I am going to urge you for a few moments to think supernaturally rather than naturally. Verse 14. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not. Curse. Principle number one.
Write it down. Deliberately resist your natural instinct. Deliberately resist. Your natural instinct. That's verse 14.
All of us have built-in instincts. When something comes too close to our face, we blink. And we turn away. When we're about to fall, we throw our hands out. That's a natural instinct.
We're in our car leaving. Another car is backing up quickly and doesn't see us. We honk, honk, honk. That's a natural instinct. When someone does wrong, the natural instinct is Get even.
Get back. Hopefully worse than he got to you. But this says Bless those. Bless and do not curse. Isn't it interesting that the very first thing addressed is your mouth?
The heart is a well, the tongue is a bucket, and the bucket goes down into the heart and lifts out what's there. And in every depraved heart, which you and I carry around with us, there is a desire for revenge. There is a determination to defend oneself. There are a hundred excuses to justify what we have done and why we feel like we do. There is an ability to erase our wrong and to highlight theirs.
Wrong. And out of our mouth come words of cursing. And they come out in all different ways. We speak against the person. Without a doubt, if you have had this enemy long enough, your friends know all about him or her.
You've told. You've told everyone. that you can get to listen to you all about this individual. That's the natural thing to do. But this says to bless them.
You know what the word bless means? It's worth looking at. It's a Greek term that means to speak well of. It's from which we get our word eulogy. Isn't that interesting?
What we say of a casket to a corpse, We say nice things. We don't curse at a funeral. We bless. He's saying don't wait till the funeral. The right things now give praise even.
You see, the human nature when anger comes is to handle things in a natural way. Thomas Jefferson said. and pass this on to us. When angry, count to 10. When very angry, 100.
Mark Twain changed it. When angry Count to four. Very angry. Swear.
So it intensifies over the process of time. God says Before you get angry, bless. You say, come on, wait, you're already turning defensive on me. I did not write this. I'm simply a messenger.
That's why I use the word deliberately. Because if you wait for it to come naturally, you'll do what you're taught to do. And that's fight back. and the people around you call you a fool, like David's friends in the cave. If you don't strike now, David, you're going to miss your chance.
So start by deliberately resisting your natural instinct. Write in the margin of your notes, Proverbs 15.1. A gentle answer turns away wrath. A gentle answer turns away wrath. But a harsh Word stirs up Anger.
You're listening to Insight for Living, and we're midway through a message from Chuck Swindahl titled. Doing right when you've been done wrong. Today's world is filled with strife and all manner of injustice. and these egregious behaviors awaken our desire for retribution, We long to settle the score. But in the book of Romans, Paul provides a biblical alternative.
Jesus taught us to bless those who persecute us, to trust God to handle justice, and let go of our bitterness. And as we step into the Christmas season, it's the perfect time to focus on the coming King, Jesus, who arrived on earth as a baby. Through his sinless life, Jesus modeled humility, all ultimately giving his life so that we might live. In this spirit, Insight for Living offers a brand new book for you and your family. It's called Everlasting Light, a journey from promise to presence.
Written by Carlos Sasueta with Chuck Swindahl, this 25-day Advent devotional will elevate your holiday season as you prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ. During these days of global conflict, what could possibly be more uplifting than focusing on the promise of the everlasting light? Whether you want this devotional book for your family or as a thoughtful gift for a friend, we invite you to request Everlasting Light, the 25-day Advent devotional published exclusively by Insight for Living. It's our gift to you when you give a generous gift to support the Ministry of Insight for Living. Our times are urgent.
people need the hope of the everlasting light. and your contribution will be applied directly toward broadcasting this message, not only in North America, but all around the world. To give a generous donation and request the Advent devotional Everlasting Light, Address your envelope to Insight for Living. Post Office Box 5000 Frisco, Texas, seven five oh three four. You can also call us at 800-772-8888.
or give online at insight.org slash donate. I'm Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindahl continues to describe doing right when you've been done wrong. Tomorrow on Insight for Living. The preceding message, Doing Right When You've Been Done Wrong, was copyrighted in 2007, 2010, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R.
Swindahl, Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
