Love Your Enemies

Mt. 5:44

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

Since I really don't have someone that I would consider an enemy, I have to apply this principle to people that I don't enjoy being around. I do have people in that category. What kind of people are these? For me, these people are ones that have hurt me in the past, that say hurtful things to me whether they mean to or not, or that I have a problem dealing with them or their life style. Normally, I just avoid those people, or at times depending on what they have done, I think unkind thoughts about them as if God doesn't know what I am thinking. Is my attitude wrong? The answer would have to be a resounding, YES. Matthew is teaching me to pray for my enemies because I am a child of God. Instead of justifying my irritation at these people, I need to pray for them. I have noticed that when I pray for someone, my negative feeling dissipate. Praying for them changes me! What a miracle prayer is! But if I don't pray, it hurts my spiritual life not the people who have hurt me. What is the source of these feelings in me? I think it is my pride rising up against someone who would hurt me or irritate me. Something in me says, 'how could you say this or do this to me?'. How devastating pride is for the life of God in the child of God! Being a child of God who is in close fellowship with God must be the most important relationship in my life even more important than my pride! When a hurtful word or action crosses my path, I need to use it as a signal to PRAY!

Father,

Change my behavior and attitudes about those who irritate me. Help me love them by praying for them. Grow Your love in me for all those You have put in my path.

In Jesus name,

Amen