12 Days of Christmas: Day Seven
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you...In that way you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?...If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?...But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:45-48 NLT)
Have you ever been out shopping, for Christmas gifts or otherwise, and come across something you weren't looking for but knew of someone it fit so perfectly you couldn't let the opportunity pass by to get it for them? You said, "That would be perfect for ______. I have to get it!" Maybe you saved it for Christmas or their birthday, or maybe you gave it to them right away because you simply couldn't wait.
Someone once gave me a red coffee mug with the word Love on one side and a Bible verse about love on the back, along with a small wood plaque with the words: Jesus Loves Me. I think it had something to do with me teaching that vital truth to children and the adult leaders who were listening too. I do talk and write about God's love a lot, because believing that simple truth affects every other area of my faith-journey. If I leave it out, nothing makes sense.
God is love and He wants us to be people of love. He empowers us to love others even when it's hard--and sometimes it's REALLY hard! But still, if we are willing to accept it, He wants us to love them, and not only for the sake of those who obviously need a lot of love, but also for us. He doesn't expect perfection from us. We are not capable of that. But He does want perfection for us.
He knows what hate, anger, and bitterness do to my heart, and He doesn't want me to be stuck in that emotional bondage because others have hurt me. He wants me to find healing, so He empowers me to love and forgive and move on. There is a reward for those who love instead of hate. There is a reward for patience. There is peace and joy for those who don't allow negative emotions to control them.
God gives perfect gifts to help us in our imperfect lives and relationships. When I fall short of perfection and hurt others, He offers me grace. And when others fall short and cause me pain, inconvenience, fear, or frustration--He offers me grace to bear with them in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
When Jesus spoke these words about loving those who are difficult to love, He wasn't saying, 'You should live this way.' He was saying, 'You can live this way because this is how your Father is and you are His child.' He graciously gifts us with the ability to be more, love more, and therefore--find peace.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14)
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you...In that way you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?...If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?...But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:45-48 NLT)
Have you ever been out shopping, for Christmas gifts or otherwise, and come across something you weren't looking for but knew of someone it fit so perfectly you couldn't let the opportunity pass by to get it for them? You said, "That would be perfect for ______. I have to get it!" Maybe you saved it for Christmas or their birthday, or maybe you gave it to them right away because you simply couldn't wait.
Someone once gave me a red coffee mug with the word Love on one side and a Bible verse about love on the back, along with a small wood plaque with the words: Jesus Loves Me. I think it had something to do with me teaching that vital truth to children and the adult leaders who were listening too. I do talk and write about God's love a lot, because believing that simple truth affects every other area of my faith-journey. If I leave it out, nothing makes sense.
God is love and He wants us to be people of love. He empowers us to love others even when it's hard--and sometimes it's REALLY hard! But still, if we are willing to accept it, He wants us to love them, and not only for the sake of those who obviously need a lot of love, but also for us. He doesn't expect perfection from us. We are not capable of that. But He does want perfection for us.
He knows what hate, anger, and bitterness do to my heart, and He doesn't want me to be stuck in that emotional bondage because others have hurt me. He wants me to find healing, so He empowers me to love and forgive and move on. There is a reward for those who love instead of hate. There is a reward for patience. There is peace and joy for those who don't allow negative emotions to control them.
God gives perfect gifts to help us in our imperfect lives and relationships. When I fall short of perfection and hurt others, He offers me grace. And when others fall short and cause me pain, inconvenience, fear, or frustration--He offers me grace to bear with them in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)
When Jesus spoke these words about loving those who are difficult to love, He wasn't saying, 'You should live this way.' He was saying, 'You can live this way because this is how your Father is and you are His child.' He graciously gifts us with the ability to be more, love more, and therefore--find peace.
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14)
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