DO WE LOVE THEM

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same?”

Matthew 5:43-46 KJV

Jesus has told us to love our enemies.  Do we love them?  It is very difficult to love someone who is cursing us, making fun of us and telling lies about us.  Yet, that is exactly what they did to Jesus and He still loved them.  We need to follow His example and love those who hurt us.

Why does Jesus still love us when we do things and say words that hurt Him and break His heart?  It is because not only does Jesus love us unconditionally, He is love.  If someone asks you who Jesus is, tell the person that Jesus not only gives love, He is love.  Jesus will love us forever even when we hurt Him.

We can’t love people in our own strength.  We need to ask Jesus for help because He has told us we can’t do anything without Him.  We read in the Bible.  “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love.  Jesus, thank You for loving us and dying for us.  We need You to help us so that we will love one another unconditionally as You have commanded us to love each other.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

June 1, 2015