Bless the Hell Out of People

I’ve hesitated posting this for days, not because I’m concerned someone’s going to be offended by it, but because I still feel so far from living it. I’m not trying to be irreverent, just the opposite. It’s a serious thing to me. I’ve had several dreams in which people were walking around in their own “hells”—tortured by their circumstances, anguished by fear, powerless to break free. Trying to convince them there were demonic lies controlling their hearts and minds just made their agony worse. The only way to set them free was to bless them with what God was saying about them and to them.

Spiritual orphans demand retribution of people they blame for their pain. Spiritual sons and daughters demand vengeance against the enemy they know is the real source of suffering. You may protest that vengeance belongs to God. It does. We’re not to selfishly avenge offenses against us—that would make us guilty of the same thing we’re judging. So what is vengeance to a believer? Vengeance is the grace of God empowering you to minister love, healing, freedom, and reconciliation to others on the same battlefields the enemy tried to destroy you.

“Bless those who persecute you. Bless, and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who are happy, weep with those who are in mourning. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave that to the righteous passion of God, for as it’s written, “Vengeance is Mine, and I will repay, says the Lord.” Therefore, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing so you will share with him the fire he needs to live.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:14,19–21, my paraphrase).