Over and over again, we are told in the gospels ‘Love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Be good to those who hate you. Pray for those who persecute or mistreat you to show you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven, for He makes His sun rise on the good and the wicked, and sends rain to fall on the righteous and sinner. If you only love those who love you, what reward can you have? Even the wicked do that’ (Matthew 5:44 to 46). Might I say that this message is the same today even as it was during the time of the Roman Imperium which controlled and dictated to the lives of millions of people when this message was first written.
As a Christian and therefore follower of Christ, it is easy to be put off by what we hear in media. In a world which seems to be growing in hate and discord, as we have recently seen by the actions of a few in the form of ISIS, it's easy to become hard and even hateful towards those who would try to take peace from us. Yet the message of Christ and throughout the New Testament continues to sing aloud as it did thousands of years before. Love those that hate you!
As we draw near to the return of Christ, Jesus himself warns us in Matthew 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
It is during these times, such as we see today, that every Christian believer must hold to the truth and Christ's calling to "go into all the world" with a message of love and grace especially to those that hate us. It is through their hatred towards us and our response to continue in love that the world will see Christ in us and ultimately more come to the knowledge of God's love towards them.
It is not enough for us to say we love them, we must always display this love in action. As we begin a new day, let's pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us to someone somewhere that we can display Christ's love for them. Remembering one of the most recognised scriptures of all time John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
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