Am I in God's Place?

Some people want to take all matters of concern into their own hands. They want to be the agent to bring justice for every situation. If that means they need to take vengeance, then they do it in their way. If it means rebuking those who have done them wrong, they do it in a way that satisfies them. Often, this leads to angry, judgmental people who really make a mess of many things. This is the opposite of what God wants us to do, as believers. Joseph knew that. When his brothers were afraid that he would take vengeance on them after Jacob's death, Joseph responded in a godly way. (Genesis 50:19) He told them not to be afraid. Then, he simply asked them a question, Am I in God's place?" What a fantastic way to frame the situation at that moment! Let's take a few moments to see what Joseph was saying, so we can react just as he did.

 We are not God. God is the Only Righteous Judge. He is the Only One who knows all of our actions and our intentions behind those actions. Therefore, we are to leave the judging to God. That is why the Bible clearly says that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not us.(Proverbs 20:22; Romans 12:19) We are not to react to those who hurt us. We are to act in love and leave the justice to God. When someone takes advantage of us or treats us badly in any way, we are not to be the one to "straighten them out" with angry words and coercion.(James 1:20) After all, God is the only one who can change their heart. Our anger will not make things better. It will only make them more of an enemy in the future. The solution is forgiveness and reconciliation, like Joseph did. Yes, we can forgive others, even if they do not apologize or change. That sets us free from the effects of retaliation in our own life. Joseph was very wise in his response to his brothers, and I pray we will always realize that we are not in God's place. Let's let God do what only He can do well. 

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 1-4.