We have all been wronged at times in our lives. No doubt you have been lied to, cheated, taken advantage of, disrespected or offended, and that event demanded a response from you.

The most natural response is to get even.

In America we picture justice as a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales.

But on a personal level, most of us are holding our own set of scales.

If someone does something to upset our balance of justice, we will throw something on our side of the scale to offset their offense.

The problem is that whatever we put on the scale will be deemed too heavy by the other person. Now their scale is imbalanced.

Rarely does someone say, “Well, I deserved that!”

So, they have to put something else on the scale. This can go back-and-forth for a long time, maybe a life-time.

It’s called “tit for tat.”

What can stop the cycle of getting even?

The answer is forgiveness.

When someone tosses an offense onto your justice scales, forgiveness is simply removing that heavy offense from the scale!

But how can a person do that? It goes against our natural response.

You can do that when you let God hold the scales of right and wrong in His hands. Believe God who said, “Vengeance is mine.

I will repay sayeth the Lord.” (Romans 12:19). Forgiveness happens when you say, “I gave my justice scales to God, and I will trust Him to make the next move.”

Doing this allows you to look beyond the offense to the need of the person who offended you. Forgiveness is having a greater concern for someone after they offend you than you had before they offended you.

Start 2020 by filling a garbage bag with the weights of injustices that have accumulated on your justice scales and then turn the scales over to God. You will be blessed and truly have a happy new year!

Next Week: Vigilante Christianity?

Dan Williams is the senior adult pastor at Lexington Baptist Church.