The words of my message were soaked in sarcasm and anger. They flowed through my fingertips with ease as I poured out my frustration.

This person’s original message to me questioned my motives. They had made me feel bad, and now I was returning the favor. I will teach them that if they mess with me, they will regret that mistake.

I had a message that was almost a paragraph long before I paused. I looked down at my phone with great pleasure, knowing that this little response would sting. They will never message me like that again, I thought while reading with delight.

Then I stood there momentarily and asked myself, “Would Jesus want me to send this message?” Was I representing my faith well with my response to their words?

After what seemed like an hour, which was probably 30 seconds, I took my finger and started to delete it all. Every word was gone, and only an empty line was left.

I will admit that I was a little disappointed. Revenge in all forms can taste sweet.

The right thing to do for me as a Christian was to respond with grace and forgiveness. My heart should overflow with love and kindness. So I deleted it all.

Perhaps it is okay to write angry words in a message, but it is never right to send it.