"But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who insult and persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:44-45*).
– I can't believe how many problems this woman creates! – I complained to my husband. – She tries to stick her nose everywhere and is a big gossip, causing conflicts wherever she goes.
My husband listened to me attentively and generally agreed with me, but he asked me to consider something. He pointed out the fact that the Lord Jesus loves the woman as much as He loves me. That struck me hard. It wasn't fair! I was doing the right thing, unlike her.
I prefer my husband to support me by always taking my side. I don't like it when he shows common sense and urges me to correct myself. Nevertheless, he helped me by suggesting that I pray for God to open my eyes to see the woman the way He sees her. Slowly, I started to embrace the idea. Gradually, the Lord helped me to understand that He created her in His image, as He did with me. That, in itself, was enough to invoke respect.
Christ challenges us to love those who are hard to love. It is easy to love people who agree with us. However, the Lord has called us to a higher standard. While we were still sinners, He loved us. I am still a work in progress. With God's help and through prayer, I am learning to show love and respect to everyone.
Link to the original article: https://www.upperroom.org/devotionals/en-2025-01-09
* Bible quotes are from the Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013