Why You Can Trust God When You’ve Been Wronged - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - March 08, 2026
Discover how to find peace and trust God's justice when faced with wrongdoing, even when retaliation feels tempting. Learn practical strategies to disengage from conflict and empower yourself by letting God handle the situation.
"If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone.’” Romans 12:17-18 (NCV)
Do you think God can bring good out of something bad, like when you’re bullied or harassed?
You bet he can. It’s hard to see it and trust it in the moment. When someone wrongs you, you may be tempted to fight back or defend yourself. But God is just, and it’s his job to punish, restore, and turn things around for good.
“If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: ‘I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:17-19 NCV).
Notice the words “do your best.” As much as it is possible, live in peace with everyone. That’s because God knows there are some people in life who are almost impossible to get along with. When you’re harassed or bullied, God doesn’t want you to retaliate. He wants you to walk away.
To that, you might say, “But you don’t know what they’ve done to me! They’ve hurt me. They've caused a lot of harm, and I want to get even.”
People who are bullies want to hook you. They want to get your attention and engage you—and then attack. They can’t stand it if you ignore them! This is also true online. It’s often hard to figuratively walk away from an attack in a comment thread on Facebook. But when you refuse to react, you’ve taken control away from bullies. If they can’t engage you, then they can’t control you.
Whenever you tell someone, “You make me so mad,” you’re admitting that you've given control of your emotions to somebody else. You don’t want to do that. You don’t want to give anyone power over your emotions.
Romans 12 says God gives you a choice: Either you can seek revenge yourself or you can trust God and let him avenge you. Who do you think can do a better job?
Refuse to retaliate. Walk away. Let it go! And let God do his work.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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