Love Your Enemies - True Valentine!
Love Your Enemies - True Valentine!
Many who see my son Jonathan often would say ‘he looks like you’ and he really does. Of course, I love to hear that Jonathan looks like me. Our heavenly Father is asking that we look like him in our everyday living and loving. “Love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:44.
Is it possible to love your enemies? Yes, only when we understand that God loved us even when we were His enemies. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” Romans 5:8. Only a new life in Christ can give us the power to love our enemies. Remember Christ died for all sinners not just those who now believe and have trusted Him as savior. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do". Luke 23:34.
Matthews 5:33-48 (NLT)
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] 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. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”.
Do you have any enemies, one who has hurt you so bad? Maybe you don’t have enemies in the true sense of it but you have those who irritate you in your relationships. We all have those irritators. We also have those who are different from us in race, tribe, politics and beliefs. Jesus says love them anyway.
But how? “4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Praying for God's grace for others is the first act of loving. Let’s pray and forgive and love all as Christ has loved us. It is not easy but may God empower us to do so. The goal of all love is redemption, restoration through the grace of God, so let’s lead all to Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer. Vengeance belongs to God. Amen.
Do something different this valentine and surprise someone who least expects your love. How about crossing the isle and praying for the leader and people who are not your race, political party or another tribe. Let’s not also forget those who have been there for us and never take them for granted.
Happy Valentine! – Love your enemies and also your friends!
Many who see my son Jonathan often would say ‘he looks like you’ and he really does. Of course, I love to hear that Jonathan looks like me. Our heavenly Father is asking that we look like him in our everyday living and loving. “Love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:44.
Is it possible to love your enemies? Yes, only when we understand that God loved us even when we were His enemies. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” Romans 5:8. Only a new life in Christ can give us the power to love our enemies. Remember Christ died for all sinners not just those who now believe and have trusted Him as savior. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do". Luke 23:34.
Matthews 5:33-48 (NLT)
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] 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. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”.
Do you have any enemies, one who has hurt you so bad? Maybe you don’t have enemies in the true sense of it but you have those who irritate you in your relationships. We all have those irritators. We also have those who are different from us in race, tribe, politics and beliefs. Jesus says love them anyway.
But how? “4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Praying for God's grace for others is the first act of loving. Let’s pray and forgive and love all as Christ has loved us. It is not easy but may God empower us to do so. The goal of all love is redemption, restoration through the grace of God, so let’s lead all to Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer. Vengeance belongs to God. Amen.
Do something different this valentine and surprise someone who least expects your love. How about crossing the isle and praying for the leader and people who are not your race, political party or another tribe. Let’s not also forget those who have been there for us and never take them for granted.
Happy Valentine! – Love your enemies and also your friends!
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