Love Your Enemies

Hey everybody!
First of all, thank you guys so much for even reading this blog like wow you all are so cute! Since last night, I've gotten 148 views on this blog which is INSANE! So I could make a whole post about that... but I won't. :)

So I was reading my bible last night and I came across a pretty well-known section of verses in Matthew... and of course it still had new meaning. Here's the verses:

Matthew 5:43-44
HCSB
“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, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

Seems simple, right?
Then why is this so difficult? I mean I don't know about you guys, but I'm not in the mood to even talk to people who don't like me, let alone PRAY for them? What have they done to deserve my love?


Oh wait.


What I'm often ashamed to realize is that I am absolutely no different. I did nothing at all that could ever earn God's love, yet he loves me unconditionally. Isn't it only right that we, as imitators of Christ, imitate his act of love? It strikes me as odd that I would even think of anything else. We are to BE LIKE CHRIST. We were nothing but dirty rags to God, defying him in everything we did, and still he loved us as his own children. It seems pretty small in comparison, this simple act of kindness. When you do not conform to the ways of this world, you will have people who persecute you. Sometimes, a lot of people. Pray for them! Don't stop showing them kindness and generosity. Go out of your way to help them when they drop a book, offer to help them with homework. Do the same that you would do for your best friend. Nobody is better than anyone else, so if you treat your neighbor with kindness, do so with your enemy.

Don't think you can do it? Here's what helps me. My God is the God who crafted the entire universe. He can part seas, cause mountains to move, and sent his son to DIE for me. He is surely with me in EVERYTHING I do. God calls us to live radically for him, and thats exactly what he equips us to do.

I love all of you!

In Christ,
Jackie