TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Luke 6:27-28

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

TODAY’S MESSAGE:

We’ve all heard this before: We are to love those who are mean to us. But how many of us believe it’s possible? How can we love someone who tells lies about us, gossips about us, and makes us feel bad about ourselves?

The truth is, it’s not possible on your own strength alone. In fact it’s one of the most difficult things we can do. But it’s very possible if we rely on Jesus to help us do, following His example and remembering how He was mistreated by His enemies.

People who hate you are often jealous, or they see something in you that they lack in themselves. That is not your fault, and there is nothing you can do to make them like you. Just show them love and let them see Jesus in you. Does that mean you must continue to let them mistreat you? Not at all — intact it may be necessary to remove yourself from their life. But do it from a position of forgiveness, not out of revenge.

It is so easy to fall into self-pity when we did nothing to deserve the bad treatment. But neither did He, and His was much worse than ours. Jesus had more “haters” than we ever will. Pray for them.