Back when Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States, news reporter Sam Donaldson was gaining a reputation for his aggressive, in-your-face, annoying style of questioning. During the height of the energy crisis, Donaldson was assigned to accompany Carter on a trip overseas to a small village near New Delhi. Carter went there to see firsthand how the citizens of that village threw all the cow manure from their herds into a large pit and then siphoned off the methane gas to create the fuel required to light their village lamps.

As Carter and Donaldson were standing there on the lip of that manure pit, inspecting the siphoning process, Donaldson couldn’t resist the urge to make a joke. He said, “If I fell in, you’d pull me out wouldn’t you, Mr. President?” To that, Carter dryly replied, “Certainly, ……… after a suitable interval.”

Oh, that craving for that “suitable interval” (that craving to exact revenge) comes so easily for us, doesn’t it? I’ve felt it, and so have you. But what does the Bible teach? (all references from the N.K.J.V.)

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)

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord… (Hebrews 10:30)

Tell me, is there someone who has done you wrong? Is there someone whom you’d enjoy seeing spend some time in a manure pit? Well, you’d better watch out for those hard feelings. Just let God deal with the person and do His repaying in His own way and timing. He doesn’t need any help from you.