THE RETALIATING TONGUE

The Retaliating Tongue

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate when

people say unkind things about you. Instead,

pay them back with a blessing. That is what God

wants you to do, and he will bless you for it.

1 Peter 3:9




There is nothing as easy as verbal retaliation. Of

course, the thrill of it is only a fleeting pleasure for

those who love God; the remorse for succumbing to

this sin tends to linger. Retaliation used to be one of

my biggest challenges. That’s why I praise God for

His Holy Spirit who convicts, guides, and works in

me to do His good pleasure. I have made a concerted effort in recent months to take the high road in every situation in which someone attempts to criticize, diminish, or disparage me in any way. I knew I would not be able to write this chapter if I did not get the victory over this stronghold.




Satan has presented me with many opportunities to practice my desired behavior. While I do not recall an instance of returning a negative response directly to someone, I found pleasure in sharing with my administrative assistant, my husband, or a friend

the words that I would have said had I not chosen

the high road. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me

that this was still my way of getting indirect satisfaction. The ultimate victory would come only when I refused to dignify the person’s remarks with any comments and refrained from discussing the matter with anyone. Satan has taunted me and tried to make me feel that I am becoming a wimp. You would have to know how much I loath people who let others treat them like a doormat to really understand how hard this has been for me. I grew up seeing key

people in my life suffer the harsh words of others in

silence. I promised myself that if anybody treated me

that way, I would return the treatment. However, as

I studied the Scriptures dealing with conflict management, I learned that the root meaning of the word “retaliate” is to “return the punishment.” The Bible is very clear in admonishing us to avoid retaliation.




Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do

things in such a way that everyone can see

you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.

Dear friends, never avenge yourselves.

Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will

take vengeance; I will repay those who

deserve it,” says the Lord (Romans 12:17-19).




I suspect I will not always bat a thousand in this

area in every situation; however, I know that if I strike

out, it will be because I have ignored the urging of

the Holy Spirit and made a conscious decision to take God’s job by returning the punishment. In recalling those times when I have been victorious, I realize that my responses required humility, a desire to understand the other person’s behavior, and a commitment to obey and glorify God.




To reinforce my ongoing commitment not to

retaliate, I sometimes declare a “Yahusha” day and make every effort on that day to do what Yahusha would do and to say what He would say. Now, I know that this should be my lifestyle as a child of God. However, the practicality of it hits home when I take it a day at a time. I encourage you to take up this challenge and see yourself grow ten feet tall in the spirit. Try to stay mindful of the fact that when we decide that it is our personal responsibility to avenge the wrongs perpetrated against us, we have crossed the boundary into forbidden territory.




Today’s Affirmation:

I will not repay evil with evil or insult

with insult, but with blessing, because

to this I have been called so that I may

inherit a blessing.