“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” NKJV Matthew 5:44-45
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES: okay, sounds difficult and certainly not my preference but I can choose to love my enemies by God’s grace. So far, it doesn’t sound like I actually have to interact with them.
Will it cost me? You bet.It will cost me time, requiring I sacrificially give it when in my heart I’d rather be doing something else.It will cost me pride, requiring I humble myself.It will cost me self-protection, requiring I trust Christ to be my guard.It will cost me effort, requiring I go out of my way to find ways to serve my enemy.It will cost me self, requiring I be more concerned with their needs than my own.It will cost me the satisfaction of being right (if I am), requiring that I value God’s glory above my own.It will cost me in intention, requiring I seek ways to do good to them rather than ways to avoid them.
Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
Think About This: “Looking inside ourselves, we can anticipate only harshness from heaven. Looking out to Christ, we can anticipate only gentleness.” ―
The Daily Bible Reading: Leviticus 24-25; Mark 1:23-45| You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.