Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36
These verses are very important, especially today. It feels easier to condemn someone who believes or behaves differently from us than to do good to them. It feels easier to write people off when they do something wrong than trying to understand their actions or them as a human being.
However, doing what feels easy is not the way of the Lord. Acting like him means doing the hard thing, which is showing empathy and compassion for the ones that differ from us. It means caring for the ones most people would deem “other” or “bad” for who they are or what they have done. This is a challenge that we accepted the moment we devoted our lives to Christ. Living like Jesus means loving like he does.
Prayer
I pray that, in the moments when we struggle, we remember how God treated those who many had seen as evil or not worth saving. I pray that we do not meet people with judgments, but with attempts at understanding. I pray that you will read my words today and reflect on someone that you could pray for and hold space for that is different from you in some way, and that it blesses you.
By Serena Mills
Steele Creek, NC, US
Thanks Serena for reminding us to love our enemies, we forget that we too were once the enemy of Christ until the Father showed Mercy on us and enabled us to receive Him the Lord and Savior of all men! Col 1:21, 1 Tim 4:10