Have you ever wondered why Jesus asks you to “Bless those who curse you [and] pray for those who hurt you”? (Luke 6:28). Or why He tells you to “…not repay evil for evil [and] to not retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing?” (1 Peter 3:9, NLT). Well, believe it or not, He asks you to respond this way for your own good. Furthermore, God can do a far better job of paying back people than you can ever do. Don’t believe me? Here is what the Psalmist says, “The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly” (Psalm 103:6).

When someone treats you unfairly and you take it upon yourself to retaliate instead of allowing God to fight on your behalf, it is likely that you will make the situation worse. And you may not even get the justice you deserve. Another point to consider is that when you retaliate, you become just like the people who have treated you unfairly, and clearly that is not what God wants for you.

One of my favorite examples of how God “gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly” is found in the book of Esther. Haman, a government official, hated that Mordecai would not bow down and honor him. As a result, he plotted to kill Mordecai and all the Jews; however, Haman fell into his own trap and was hung on the very pole that he had setup to hang Mordecai. What a turn of events! God delivered Mordecai and gave him the justice he deserved.

If you have been treated unfairly, do not take matters into your own hands. Instead, trust God to give you righteousness and justice because He knows better than anyone how to do just that.