Sunday, May 19, 2013

Matthew 5:43-48

Matthew 5:43-48

Love my neighbor.  Love my enemies.  

Bless those that curse me
Do good to those who hate me
Pray for those who spitefully use me and persecute me

Result from doing these things:  be sons of my Father in heaven.  

Reward comes from loving those that are hard to love.  

Be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.  

  He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good.  Sends rain to the just and the unjust.  

Application:  
Be on the look out to show love for those that it is hard to love right now.  

Jesus is not about me.  I am about Him. 
I am about showing His love to anyone regardless of their circumstance or situation or regardless of how I am treated.  Maybe if I am mistreated there is a deeper need that is aching and needs His healing in, and maybe God can use me to show grace and love despite whatever, and approach it that way instead of trying to prove a point.

God is more concerned about our heart and where we are with Him than with how blessed we are...  He makes it clear in this verse He doesn't differentiate between the good and the evil or the just and the unjust.  But for those whose heart is after Him, He can use those hard things to build character in us to draw us closer to Him.  And from that testify His love to others.  

(James 1 talks a lot about trials and character being built by those situations). 
 
It's hard to be hurt by others and not become a recluse from the hurt, which is my natural tendency.  Please help me pray for those that have hurt me and keep my focus on You Jesus and not on myself.  And even in my neighborhood may I not favor believers vs people that don't know you, but may I equally show Your love to all in a way that individually speaks to their hearts.  


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