“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” – Matthew 5:44
Let’s be honest: loving others is hard to do, sometimes even when we like someone. Do you know why? It is because in and of ourselves we are not capable of loving others biblically. Yet, Jesus has just said, “love your enemies.” The Pharisees interpreted God’s law in Leviticus 19:18 as meaning that they should love only those who love in return. That is easy to do. However, the only way to love our enemies is to allow the love of Jesus to first fill us and surrender our hearts to His way in us. Then, His unending love can flow through us into the lives of those around us, especially those we have a harder time loving. When we don’t, it is more of an issue of Christ-likeness than it is of the other person’s behavior. Showing love and feeling love are two different things. Set out to show the love of Jesus rather than seek to feel it.
How can you begin to share the love of Jesus with those around you?
