“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you…
Luke 6:27-28
Love your enemies
This is the hardest kind of love. Love the people who hurt you or want to see harm come to you. The natural human reaction is to see them fail or even to get revenge. I have often struggled with these emotions. I wondered why I would ever feel that way toward someone who hurt me when I have never wished that for anyone. There’s something about pain that makes you feel things you’ve never felt before. I quickly realized that my feelings were due to my human nature and the sin that lives inside of me.
True healing comes from thinking the way God thinks. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. Once I began to do this, it changed my entire perspective. It brought healing to a wound that had been a part of me for years. Bitterness and anger only hurt you. Loving, doing good, blessing others, and praying for your enemies brings about healing and restoration.
A Prayer to Remember
Dear Lord,
You know my heart and you know that I want to love my enemies. My sin keeps me from doing that. Please help me forgive and love like you love. Amen.