When someone attacks your reputation, how do you feel? When someone assaults your character, how do you want to respond?  When someone harms you in any way, what do you want to give back?   

Here’s one sample of payback:

That I dug my key into the side of his
Pretty little souped-up four wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seat
I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights
Slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats

Getting even is certainly one way to pay back a wrong committed against us. However, let’s consider payback from a different perspective, a more excellent way! While we can never earn our salvation, we should live with such a profound awareness of God’s grace and mercy that we demonstrate holy behavior.  We die to sin and live to righteousness.  We pay God back by living completely for Him; and as we live for God, we discover a better way to pay back any evil done to us.   

Extending kindness is typically not our first thought whenever we feel threatened.  Giving a blessing is most likely not our top priority in such moments.  We key the car and carve our name. We break the headlights and slash the tires. Like a boxer trading blows with his opponent, we vigorously return evil for evil.  Like a comedian serving sarcasm at a celebrity roast, we eagerly dish out insults.  And we like it!

But for believers in Jesus Christ, this petty behavior is unbecoming and unfruitful and unnecessary. 

We are called to walk an exceptional path, because we follow an exceptional leader who offered forgiveness instead of insults, blessings instead of curses. As we gaze intently at Jesus, we see an amazing way to respond when reviled and wounded, assaulted and scorned:

while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. (1 Peter 2:23-24)

As Peter followed and observed Jesus, he learned Jesus’ peculiar way to pay back ran counter-culture.  Jesus dished out gentleness rather than serving up revenge.  Jesus extended forgiveness rather than employing condemnation. Jesus enacted kindness rather than exacting vengeance.  He spoke goodness rather than spewing hatred.  He blessed rather than cursed, helped rather than harmed, affirmed rather than destroyed.

Now, decades later, Peter encouraged folks who faced hatred and ridicule, scorn and rejection, evil and suffering to continue Christ’s payback operation.  Peter urged wives to show gentleness and purity and respect (1 Peter 3:1-6).  He directed husbands to understand and honor their wives with heart-felt gratitude (1 Peter 3:7).  Peter asked everyone in the church to demonstrate harmony and sympathy and kindness toward one another (1 Peter 3:8-18). 

As we continue to follow Jesus, we, too, learn His way to pay back runs counter-culture.

Here in spectacular, jaw-dropping action is operation payback! 

8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. 11 HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. 12 FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." 13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

Soaring words, indeed!  We see here a revolutionary way to handle wrongs committed against us.

We see a payback lifestyle which transforms our attitudes and actions, even today.  Listen!

When your date stands you up or your boss loses touch . . .
When your husband manipulates or your family dictates . . .
When your wife walks away or your children disobey . . .
When your friends forsake or your neighbor’s a snake . . .
When your dad checks out or your mom lashes out . . .
When your character is questioned or your ego is bruised . . .
When you discover infidelity, the sting of betrayal . . .
When your soul is shredded and your heart is broken . . .
When you stand in the storm of harsh words spoken . . .
When you hurt beyond hurting, lost on the trail . . .
When you’re cut-off in traffic or cut-off from friends . . .
When you’re sinking in pity or sinking in doubt . . .
When you want to cave in, lash out, cash in, pay back, spew venom, chew out, sow hatred, hit back . . .

Then . . . Pay back with harmony!  Pay back with sympathy! Pay back with love! Pay back with kindness!

Pay back with humility! Pay back with blessings!

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit! Turn away from evil and do good!

Seek peace and pursue it!  What a wonderful testimony of hope—our beliefs and actions and words perfectly in sync—we give to a watching world!

Revenge is sweet, but it doesn’t last; and it actually harms.  A Chinese proverb captures this idea well: Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. 

So, leave the pocket knives and baseball bats at home.  The next time you want to get even, get right, instead.  The next time you consider delivering a vengeful rant, give a bountiful blessing, instead. When you feel the need to retaliate with hatred, pay back with goodness, instead.  When you want to explode with rage, simmer with gentleness, instead.

Choose God’s way to pay back! 

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