Let It Go
By Rick Warren

“He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” 1 Peter 2:23 (NLT)

If you’ve been hurt by someone, whether it’s physical or emotional, you’ve got a decision to make. You can use your energy to get well or to get even.

But you can’t do both.

Jesus understood pain and abuse. When he was crucified, he was wounded in every way possible—in his feet, his hands, and his head. Roman soldiers whipped him with 40 lashes. They crushed a crown of thorns onto his skull. And then they nailed him to a cross.

Of course, Jesus’ deepest wounds weren’t physical but emotional. He was betrayed, rejected, and humiliated. 

Yet 1 Peter 2:23 says, “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (NLT). Jesus could have sent a million angels to fight for him while he was on the cross, but he didn’t. 

He left the issue to his Father in heaven. He said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34 GW). He refused to let pain make him bitter.

To get through the pain and abuse of this life, you must release those who’ve abused you. When you have resentment in your heart, you can’t get well. For your own sake, you need to let go of your right to get even. 

Getting even won’t make you feel better. Even if you were able to get even, it wouldn't take your pain away. 

Does the person who hurt you deserve your forgiveness? No. But you don’t deserve God’s forgiveness either. You offer forgiveness for your sake, not the other person's. 

You can also be assured that God has seen everything that has happened to you. The Bible says in Romans 12:19, "Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, ‘I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord’” (GNT).

God saw what happened when you were hurt. And he wept, just as he was doing when his Son was crucified. It’s God’s responsibility to get even—not yours; the person who hurt you won’t get away with it. 

But when you forgive, you will be set free—you’ll stop suffering unnecessarily for someone else’s mistakes.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:15, “A bitter spirit . . . is not only bad in itself but can also poison the lives of many others" (PHILLIPS). Resentment is a poison pill you don’t need to swallow. You can choose to be as happy as you want to be.

So what’s your choice?

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Experience More of God’s Presence in 2025!

Prayer has the power to transform your year and that’s why we hope you’ll request a copy of the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal!

This year’s theme, Resting in the Great I Am, will help you experience more of God’s presence in the year ahead as you learn to pray with greater passion and purpose.

Request your Daily Hope Prayer Journal: Resting in the Great I Am when you give below, knowing your gift will be DOUBLED by the $100,000 Match to help reach more people with the hope of Jesus in 2025.

Thank you!

*All gifts will be doubled up to the full amount of the grant. Thank you for your generous support!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.