“But 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.”
– Luke 6:35
Yesterday we talked about EGRs, or those people in our lives who require extra grace, and we agreed that the best way to deal with them is to love them. Today, I want to elaborate on how we do that, particularly the fact that our ability to love does not come from a place of trying harder, but rather from transformed character. You see, when we submit to the work of Jesus and cultivate true faith and selflessness, agape love bubbles up from within us! Loving our enemies is not a spontaneous happening, nor is it an end in itself. Rather, it is the fruit of a faith that understands that God knows best, and that even when we endure unjust treatment, He is faithful. When we understand that He only wants what’s good for us, then we can always, even in the midst of pain, trust that He is working things out for our benefit. That kind of childlike faith is the first step towards cultivating a character that loves those who persecute it. Friend, a vital part of developing a faith that trusts Jesus in the midst of mistreatment is a willingness to let go of what you think is wrong or of what you think you deserve. When you forgo your right to get even, to talk back, or to make sure justice is served in the way you believe it should be, your trust in God’s goodness is affirmed and a genuine, supernaturally-powerful love is made known. Loving your enemies is the result of a heart that is rooted and established in the grace and goodness of Jesus, Who is love’s embodiment!! |
Prayer
Jesus, I want to love my enemies from a place of childlike faith in your fatherly goodness. I ask for a heart that is more like yours.
Reflection
How does Jesus enable you to love your enemies?