Why Not?

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)

Ever wonder if forgiving your enemy means no one will ever know how deeply they hurt you? 

In today’s verse, Jesus sets a high bar in our relationships. Here, He teaches you to love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 

That means that love doesn't just forgive when someone asks for it. Love offers forgiveness with no strings attached. And according to 1 Peter 4:8, love covers over a multitude of sins.

What makes this so hard is that if you really do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you, then very few people will know you've been hurt. You won't be walking around depressed, withdrawn, or annoyed. You'll be behaving in a hope-filled, joyful, gracious way. No one will know you've been rejected, insulted, betrayed, or wounded.

And everything in your selfish soul will hate that. By nature, you want people to know when you've been wronged. You want sympathy. If you're being nice to your enemy, you want everyone to know about it.

But is it enough that God knows you've been wounded? 1 Peter 2:19 says, "This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrow while suffering unjustly." When you obey Jesus and do good to those who wrong you, you glorify and please God. 

Your greatest need isn't that your hurt be recognized. It's that God means more to you than anyone else.

When that person's name comes up in conversation, resist the urge to mention what they did to you. Instead, pray silently, "God, You know what happened. That's enough." Then say something kind about them. 

Watch what happens when you choose God's approval over others' sympathy. You'll feel lighter immediately. And over time, you'll realize you're finally free. 

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I admit it's not easy to obey Your Word to love my enemies. Forgive me for the times what other people think means more to me than what You think. Change my heart and draw me closer to You until nothing and no one matters more than obeying and honoring You. In Your Name, Amen.