Partners
In Hope

Do Good To Those Who Hate You Really?

Tuesday October 22, 2019

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Ask God to bless the people who ask for bad things to happen to you. Pray for the people who are mean to you. If you do this, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God. God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful. Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy. (Luke 6:27b-28, 35b-36 ERV)

 We begin today’s meditation with Jesus’ words – perhaps some of the most challenging ever.  It takes great courage and endurance to love anyone who is a hard-to-love person with character defects that irritate us.  It seems almost impossible to love them when their shortcomings have injured us and perhaps continue to inflict harm on us when we are around them.  We don’t want to be co-dependent and allow those who harm us to continue to do so.  Neither do we want to be people who are filled with resentment and hate because we know that is poison for us.  So, how are we to respond today to what Jesus is saying?
As is true in every situation, if we seek God first, all the rest will find its way.  God loved us when we were full of sin.  He sorted out who we were from what we did.  He never condoned our bad behaviour, He simply showed grace to us and invited us to accept His love.  God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and restore our relationship with Him. 



And then He waited – waited for us to realize the error of our ways and repent and turn to Him.  He was ready and waiting for relationship with us when we were ready.  In the same way, while we are right to establish healthy boundaries from people who harm us, we must deal with our own hearts towards them.  We must forgive, receive healing, and develop a sincere desire for something good to happen in their lives.  The most effective way to deal with the situation is to pray a blessing on them so they become conscious of God’s invitation to new life and more readily be able to respond.  As we seek God for the right response, He may suggest ways for us to be kind and bless the person in some tangible way.  Remember hatred stirs up strife but love will cover a multitude of sins.



Prayer:  Loving God, while I was still your enemy, You invited me to come to You and receive Your love and forgiveness. Thank You for teaching me Your ways through both Your life and Your written word.   Please fill my heart with Your love so I may find a way to bless others as You have blessed me.  Amen


©2019 Partners in Hope 
More information on this and other related topics @ http://www.partnersinhope.ca/life-with-god-in-recovery-resources/

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