“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And
if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?" Matthew 5:43-47
I am more convinced than ever that we are given trials in our life
from which to grow. It is easy to get along with "friends" those
people who believe as we do and think as we think. That is easy,
isn't it? What might not be as easy is loving the ones who persecute
us and praying for them. We are only human after all and we have
emotions. No one wants to be mistreated, lied to and lied about...but
it happens. What we do next is the most important thing. Do we
retaliate? Do we become hateful? Or do we take the higher ground?
"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?" "Love
your enemies." "Pray for those who persecute you." If we don't do
these things we are no different than the "pagans"...right? I am not
a pagan...I am a child of God and so I must obey the Word. I must not
only pray for my "enemies" but I must pray to God and ask Him to give
me the right heart...as many times as necessary.
enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And
if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?" Matthew 5:43-47
I am more convinced than ever that we are given trials in our life
from which to grow. It is easy to get along with "friends" those
people who believe as we do and think as we think. That is easy,
isn't it? What might not be as easy is loving the ones who persecute
us and praying for them. We are only human after all and we have
emotions. No one wants to be mistreated, lied to and lied about...but
it happens. What we do next is the most important thing. Do we
retaliate? Do we become hateful? Or do we take the higher ground?
"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?" "Love
your enemies." "Pray for those who persecute you." If we don't do
these things we are no different than the "pagans"...right? I am not
a pagan...I am a child of God and so I must obey the Word. I must not
only pray for my "enemies" but I must pray to God and ask Him to give
me the right heart...as many times as necessary.