Have you ever had someone go out of their way to make your life miserable? Like they have an agenda to embarrass and shame you infront of people. Then we play out what we wish we could do to them or we have these fake conversations in out head with them. We tear them apart in our heads. Some of us actually do those things. We get even with them!
Then you come across the words of Jesus:
Matthew 5:43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 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.
Most of the time we are like “He is Jesus. He can do that. I can not.” Or we think ok I will pray for them… “God get them, smite them, destroy them, expose them.” I do not think that is the kind of pray Jesus was encouraging. Love your enemies. Love those that go out of their way to make you miserable. Love those who intentionally hurt you.
Then if you actually do, something deep in you happens. The pain of what they did hurts less. The hatred toward them goes away. Here we feel like they are getting away with it. What if God telling us to love our enemies was actually about us too. What if He knew holding on to the pain and resentment would steal life from us? What if we would just let Him have our hurt we walk away free?
Then what about them? What if when they see you responding in love instead of anger, they see who the Father really is?
So loving your enemies heals you and shows the offender the nature of the God. So who do you need to forgive? Who would God have you pray for? Who do you not want to pray blessing over? Go do it!
Helping People Live a Better Story
Brandon Sereg
@brandonsereg
@thevibrantchurch
www.thevibrant.church
