Living Well is the Best Revenge by Travis Berg

Note: This blogpost was written by the Rev. Travis Berg

Others have mentioned George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) in his capacity as a metaphysical poet. But Herbert did not despise the common man, the rural yokel. He, unlike many today, did not avoid the deplorables or the “fly over” states. In fact, Herbert complied a list of rural proverbs that he entitled, “Outlandish Proverbs,” as well as producing prose works for his fellow rural parsons.

“Living well is the best revenge” ought to be our shibboleth these days. Our enemies hate us. The devil and his ilk seek our “life, goods, fame, child, and wife.” The world seeks to scare us into submission, to suppress our services, to inflict false guilt, to morally grandstand and indulge their moral outrage, and to inflate prices to “a quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius” (Rev. 6:6)

What’s the answer to all this? Live well. Thumb your nose at the devil by living well. Rejoice in the gifts God has given you. Take pleasure in your goods. Thank God for your good name or rejoice that they have slandered you so for the sake of Jesus. Play with your son on the playground. Kiss your wife and take her out to supper.

Laugh at the world’s fears by trusting and fearing in Him Who “is able destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Scoff at the world’s burden of false guilt by examining yourself according to the 10 Commandments and then by laying down that real and objective burden of guilt in private confession. Mock the useless talk of inflation, knowing that “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble” (Proverbs 15:16), and “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:6-7).

Living well is the best revenge against this present age of insanity and spiritual darkness. As a Christian, you do live well. God is Your Father. Jesus is Your Brother. You see miracles week in and week out in the fount, at the pulpit, and especially upon the Altar. Each and every member of the church is God’s gift to you. And you will live and never die because you believe in Him Who is the Resurrection and the Life.