LOVE YOUR ENEMIES... Sunday

devotional for 11/17/13

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."  
                         Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)

Really God?  I know that you can do that, because you are perfect - you are able to love the unlovable.   But me?  How can I possibly love my enemies?  I am far from perfect.  It is hard enough sometimes to love those close to me, especially when they say or do things that hurt me.  Sometimes it is easier to love those I don't even know!  I see a picture of a hurting child and my eyes well up with tears.  I hear about an animal that has been beaten and abandoned and my heart aches.  I read about someone who has been abused and my soul cries out.  And I don't even know them!

But my enemies and persecutors? How could you ask me to do that?  How can I possibly LOVE them?  How could I ever love THEM, of all people?  

Once again, God, you give me the answer in your Word, right in the same sentence, "pray for those..."  And I know that prayer should be more than, "God help them - they sure need it!"  You give me the perfect example in your Son who prayed, even as he hung on the cross, that you forgive those who put him there, for they did not know what they were doing.  That shows perfect understanding and concern for those who persecuted him to the ultimate degree - death.  As soon as I start to truly pray for my enemies, my restless mind quiets and takes notice.  If I not only pray that YOU forgive them, but that you help ME to forgive them, my heart softens.  If that prayer is honest and not just cursory, I can pray that you also bless them.  If I can pray that you shower them with every blessing with which I would want to be blessed and more, I find my attitude changing. A whole new perspective can take over.  Love for the person can actually take hold, even if I never love or accept what they have done as being OK.  I can see that is what you have done for me - loved me in spite of the errors of my ways!  Thank you for loving me and helping me to love others.

written by Jan Andersen

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Here is a song to sing about a heart that forgives....