Today we are going to start with another statement we know that Jesus said, but maybe would rather just know that he said it and not have to deal with it:
You have heard the law that says 'love your neighbour' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:43)
We might not know persecution like Christians elsewhere in the world, but we do have people who have wounded us, and some who continue to hurt us. Maybe they make us feel bad about ourselves - stupid, unattractive, worthless - by the way that the treat us or speak to us. Maybe they spread lies about us. Maybe they belittle our faith and ridicule our beliefs in some way. Maybe they remind us of all the things we regret or feel that we failed in.
We are still called to love these people. Not to be doormats or victims of abuse, but to love them. There will always be people it is easy to love and people it is hard to love, but we are just called to love. This is not easy, nor is it intended to be - but God can help you to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you. Here's some more from Matthew 5:
You have heard the law that says, 'love your neighbour' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Pray that God would help you love your enemies today and please share any encouragements from this passage in the comments below. If you are struggling because of past hurt or abuse, or struggling with unforgiveness for any reason, please find a trusted friend who can pray with you today.
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