Love for the haters

Read this: Matthew 5:43-48

"You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor 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."

Think about it:

Wow.

Jesus really knows how to lay the truth out there doesn't he?

He tells us that when we love our enemies, we're acting like true children of God.

But love your enemies?

Pray for those who persecute you?

How is that fair?

Those people deserve to be punished, not loved ... right?

Well, according to Jesus, that way of thinking is wrong.

Because when we are hateful to others who are hateful to us, we are being just like people who don't follow God.

When we behave like the world, what separates us from the world?

How will people know who we follow?

In John 13:34-35, Jesus is spending some of his last time with the disciples before he goes to the cross. These words are some of his last words before he was crucified, and were said just after he washed the disciples' feet ... even Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed him.

"Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

You see, when we love one another ... even our enemies, we show the world that we are Jesus' disciples.

Pray about it: Now here's the deal, we've talked about this issue, I think, a lot. You have asked, how do I love my enemies? How can I be nice to someone that I don't like at all? Well, here's the thing. Hate is a choice. It's an action. Just like love is a choice and an action. But YOU have to choose what you will do ... will you hate or will you love? So today, pray that God will show you ways to be kind to those who are unkind to you. Pray that whatever bitterness or unforgiving thoughts you have towards that person will be lifted and you will learn to love that person, just as God has forgiven you and loves you.

 Live it: The very last verse of this scripture says to be perfect like God is perfect. And I know that sounds a bit ... impossible. But I don't think Jesus necessarily meant for us to be perfect while we're here on earth, because only God is perfect. I think what he meant is that we should try our hardest to be like Him. To never give up. To not make excuses when things get tough. So, today, don't give up. Choose love. No.... really ... I mean it. Don't make excuses. You can do it!

P.S. For further reading I encourage you to read all of Matthew 5 and all of John 13. When I read an entire chapter it helps me to understand things better! Have a great day/night!