Pay Back

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 says "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels." I love these two verses! It is a comfort to see that God will not only pay back those who caused us trouble, but He will also give us relief. It would be nice to stop the verse at the beginning of verse 7 and not include that last sentence. To know that this will happen when Jesus returns may be a bit of a disappointment to some people who really want God to handle the situation right away. I think that is what makes God so just! He gives people time to repent. I know it may seem unfair to think that someone can live a horrible life, but they can still go to heaven if they confess their sins and ask Jesus into their heart before they die. For those who may have caused people a lot of trouble, they may have to deal with a lot of guilt after becoming a Christian. Yes, God forgives them for their sins; but that doesn't mean it is easy to forget them. If you've been hurt by someone who later becomes a Christian, you can help that person tremendously by forgiving them for what they did to you and forgetting about it. It's important to remember that you weren't perfect either before you became a Christian, and you still aren't! Wouldn't you want someone to forgive you when you mess up? When going through trouble, I try to keep my eyes on Jesus and know that He will see me through it. When we persevere, we earn rewards up in heaven. Instead of wishing harm on your enemies, pray for them to come to know the Lord too. Don't try to retaliate against those who harm you or give you trouble. If they don't repent, they have the worse punishment imaginable coming: separation from God for all eternity. All you need to worry about is that you are doing all you can to live the life God wants you to live.