The Best Revenge?

St. SteVen said:

A situation at work gave me an idea for a topic.

One of our supervisors doesn't like me due to a bad experience when I was working in her department.
I don't work with her anymore, but she has obviously held a grudge. Which is obvious from some of her
snarky comments when I do encounter her.

Last week she was particularly snotty to me in a brief encounter. I made a face to indicate my disapproval
of her behavior to workmates nearby. And gave the supervisor the cold shoulder immediately,
and in brief encounters over the next week.

But yesterday I realized that I was now holding a grudge. It gave me pause.

I have learned over the years that it is incumbent on us as Christ followers to do
the right thing no matter what is done to us. In essence, this is the best revenge.

This means I must return to greeting her when I see her in passing and stop holding the grudge.

Therefore, the best revenge is to know that you did the right thing.
Your conscience is clear.

Your thoughts?

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What I have experienced is that even when someone deserves to be disrespected, it's better not to do it. It won't teach them anything good, and it will likely escalate the situation. Even when it would have been classier and more mature for them to show some humility, most people aren’t thinking about how to be Jesus-like, it seems. So, even if your supervisor is wrong for speaking to you snarkily, she might actually make the situation escalate because of the face you made and the cold shoulder you gave. It's probably the furthest thing from her mind that she earned the kind of reaction you gave her, and she may interpret it as an unprovoked insult.

I think sometimes we don’t really know what people are experiencing in their lives. When she goes home, maybe it's a hellhole. I've been there before...no joy or peace in any sector of my life, from the food I ate to my finances, my sleep, and everything in between, including home and work. Work might just be another unhappy place for her. I think the best thing you can do is be the change you want to see. Sometimes, it just takes a leader to be the first to do it...i.e., be genuinely kind to your supervisor. Not snarky, sarcastic, disingenuous kindness, but rather doing something nice because you mean it, or not doing it at all. That’s how I view it. God is more pleased with my genuine goodness than with my fakery.

I think I'd just approach it head-on... let's see if I can do one of these:

St.Steve: Hey Karen, have you got a minute?
Karen: (huffs) What do you need, Steve? (eyerolls)
St.Steve: I was thinking...
Karen: (sarcastically) That a new experience for you?
St.Steve: (stifles witty response) I know that our working relationship hasn't been smooth in the past...
Karen: You don't say?
St.Steve: ...and I was hoping that we could improve it in the future.
Karen: (eyes you suspiciously)
St.Steve: Honestly, I don't know quite how to fix the past.
Karen: (nods begrudgingly)
St.Steve: Is there anything that I can do to help put this behind us?
Karen: Yeah... you can go to hell!
St.Steve: But I don't believe eternal conscious torment...

Ok, so you may not get the response you want. But your conscience will be clean. And Karen will have to live with the knowledge that you at least tried to make good.

St. SteVen said:

Therefore, the best revenge is to know that you did the right thing.
Your conscience is clear.

Your thoughts?

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It’s best to have enough of God’s grace to not take revenge.

Rather move on. Love and pray for your enemies, then move on with the fruit of the Spirit. Live joyfully. Acting happy in their presence will be like heaping burning hot coals on their head.

Not involving revenge, there was a powerful event at my sister’s wedding. Me and my 3yo daughter were part of the wedding party. I played with her, chasing around like a monster to keep things light and lively. Two aunts saw this and asked what was obvious; was I happy? Why do U have to explain myself? I don’t know if jealousy motivated their query but I felt as though the question implied that I should not be happy - even at such a festive occasion.

I just let the LORD handle it.

Romans 12:9 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.

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I’ve had times where I’m indignant towards people, and come off mean and hateful. Revenge in essence of not getting my own way. I’m sure I’ve been paid back by the LORD, in chastisements. Since 7 years now of being with Him in my life, I’m calmed way down. I take life seriously, when it comes to the paycheck I need. I try to just let people be themselves and myself be myself but at the same time be authentic. If there something I don’t like, I don’t always address it unless it’s appropriate and I’m moved by the spirit of the LORD to do so. Ive been a fool, and a donkey and a spiteful person in my life and Yahavah knows it.

I just hold my tongue, cause sometimes when I don’t do that I lose my religion, it’s always Christ in me who gets me through these things. Though Ive been a fool many, many times.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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MatthewG said:

I just let the LORD handle it.



I’ve had times where I’m indignant towards people, and come off mean and hateful. Revenge in essence of not getting my own way. I’m sure I’ve been paid back by the LORD, in chastisements. Since 7 years now of being with Him in my life, I’m calmed way down. I take life seriously, when it comes to the paycheck I need. I try to just let people be themselves and myself be myself but at the same time be authentic. If there something I don’t like, I don’t always address it unless it’s appropriate and I’m moved by the spirit of the LORD to do so. Ive been a fool, and a donkey and a spiteful person in my life and Yahavah knows it.

I just hold my tongue, cause sometimes when I don’t do that I lose my religion, it’s always Christ in me who gets me through these things. Though Ive been a fool many, many times.

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Yahavah? Give us one verse in the Bible that says Yahavah! Why do you keep making this up? Sounds very Satanic! Stick with Jesus!

St. SteVen said:

Update.

I have made an effort to reach out to this person.
We don't work together, but I see her in passing at work.
My friendly greetings seemed a little awkward at first, but I have continued.
Now she has loosened up and returns the greetings in a genuine way.
"How are you?", instead of a grunt. - LOL

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When's lunch?

Euse where you've asked what is Christian maturity?
You have shown an aspect of Christian maturity, to respond to antagonising with .ove or kindness.

St. SteVen said:

Update.

I have made an effort to reach out to this person.
We don't work together, but I see her in passing at work.
My friendly greetings seemed a little awkward at first, but I have continued.
Now she has loosened up and returns the greetings in a genuine way.
"How are you?", instead of a grunt. - LOL

[

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