LONGSHOT

15MAR24

“43 You have heard that it was said ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’. 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)

We live in very polarizing times. The political climate seems crazier then it ever has been, and if you vote differently then someone you automatically cannot associate. How do we operate in a time like this and love like Jesus would love?

This is a question that has a very simple answer, but is very hard to act upon. Our love towards others should be rooted in biblical love. Instead of automatically judging them based on there lifestyle or political ideology, imagine if you just took a second to pray for that person.

Loving our enemies, or those that are totally different than us, is a very difficult thing to do, but it is what we are called to do. And when we discuss love, we should be very clear that we are not talking about todays definition of love which is “total acceptance or endorsement of a lifestyle”, we are talking about biblical love. There is a difference between loving someone and endorsing their way of life.

We are all sinners, we have all fallen short. We shouldn’t be talking ill of others, but instead pray that they will also find salvation in our savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to love my enemies and those who persecute me. Lord, give me the words to say and the actions to display, so that others may see Your work in me. May I be an example of biblical love so that others would seek to follow you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.