“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.” Luke 6:27-29
When you’re wronged, mistreated, harassed, and face opposition, you need to respond with kindness and love.
Jesus teaches us in Luke 6:27-29 to love our enemies and do good to those that hated us. Jesus called us to bless those who cursed us and pray for those who used us despitefully. He taught us that we should not return evil for evil but exhibit divine grace and love to reflect our heavenly Father’s beautiful characteristics.
But let’s be honest, who does that? Not many people! Nonetheless, it’s what sets Christians apart because it’s not a natural, popular, or easy response. It takes a lot of strength and courage to do good to those who oppose you!
Please understand, any idiot can fight back. Any coward can retaliate. Any moron can say something hurtful; even parrots can be trained to curse. However, the Lord wants you to love your enemies, do good to those individuals who hate you, bless the people who curse you, pray for anyone who hurt you.
Is that easy? No, not at all! But you can do it by being filled with God’s unconditional love.
One day, I watched a documentary about the Freedom Riders on PBS. They showed the Freedom Riders fighting against racism in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. The documentary explained how these courageous individuals were taught how to take a nonviolent stance and not retaliate when they were hit, spit on, cursed, pushed, or when people threw food at them.
As I watched the documentary, I thought to myself, “I want to be that kind of person for the Kingdom of God. I want to be that courageous so no matter what is thrown at me, I can respond with love and peace.”
When you refuse to retaliate and instead respond in love, God will be pleased, and I believe you will be blessed.
Matthew 5:10-12 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father, thank You that, by faith in Christ, we have a new nature. We pray that we may live and grow more like the Lord Jesus in our choices. Father, we know and understand that we can never love those who hate and despise us in our own strength, but we pray that in Your grace and mercy, You would help us to make the correct choices, so our heart and mind align to Your perfect will; so that Your love flows through us to others. It is in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Dr. Tony L. Warrick has always had a passion for transformation. This passion unveiled his purpose to see people be all that God has created them to be by connecting the transforming power of the Kingdom of God to everyday living. As a minister, he has served as an author, certified chaplain, Bible studies teacher, lecturer on Biblical Leadership, and assisted in planting a life-giving church in Raleigh, NC.
God Bless you Dr. Tony.