Happy Tuesday Saints.
Matthew 5:16 “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.”
The Lord expects His children to be different from the rest of the world. He doesn’t want us to conform to the pattern of the world but to have our hearts and minds shaped by His Written Word.
Loving your enemies is unique. It’s so different from the world’s standard. To the rest of the world, loving your enemies sounds absurd, but God wants us to come out from among them and live with His strengthening grace and conviction.
In Luke 6:32, Jesus said, “IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT CREDIT IS THAT TO YOU, EVEN SINNERS LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE THEM.”
Our love has to be different from what the world offers. Even sinners know how to love and be good to those who love and treat them well. They love their families and friends, and some even know how to be kind and generous to those who are in need.
But loving our enemies is different. This is about loving those who hate you, misuse you, abuse you, mistreat you, curse you, persecute you, lie to you, deceive you, manipulate you, steal from you, and cheat you. It’s about loving those who oppose you and deliberately try to destroy you or your efforts.
As we saw yesterday, loving our enemies requires us to trust God. We cannot do it in our own strength. But we can love our enemies with the love of God that “HAS BEEN POURED OUT INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.” Romans 5:5
Trust God to help you shine your light in this dark world, and ask Him to teach you how to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
Have a fabulous day. God bless, and lots’a love,
Warren
