Flowers for the Bully
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Matthew 5:46-47 ***This page really is the right link to this verse and the Beatitudes…really.***
Jesus is talking about the old “love your enemy” thing here. I picked this particular excerpt from that chapter of Matthew because it really drives home the difference between how most people love and the way that God wants us to love. For the most part, people will tolerate someone who is hard to deal with. Maybe they avoid them at break time, or watch the caller ID and just let the voice mail catch the call. Some are more irritating and require something more, like the old “we’ll see when we can get together” or “I’ll call you”.
That’s what sets us apart. The fact that when someone gossips about us we pray peace for them instead of reciprocating. When that person at work takes the credit for our idea, we pray for them to have their own creativity instead of shunning them. When the ex says that he’s really changed this time, instead of rolling on the floor laughing, I pray that he really has. Wasn’t always so. I never knew how freeing it could be to pray for and in that, to love my enemies until I did it.
So won’t you try it, huh? Pick someone that you can’t forgive. Maybe something really bad has happened to you. God knows what it is and He even knows how you are feeling right now. Try something different to try to heal – pray for that person. Start by praying all the success and love for them that you would want for yourself. Try it more than once, heck you may have to pray that you will even be able to try, but you’ll get it. Get it?
Matthew 5:46-47 ***This page really is the right link to this verse and the Beatitudes…really.***
Jesus is talking about the old “love your enemy” thing here. I picked this particular excerpt from that chapter of Matthew because it really drives home the difference between how most people love and the way that God wants us to love. For the most part, people will tolerate someone who is hard to deal with. Maybe they avoid them at break time, or watch the caller ID and just let the voice mail catch the call. Some are more irritating and require something more, like the old “we’ll see when we can get together” or “I’ll call you”.
That’s what sets us apart. The fact that when someone gossips about us we pray peace for them instead of reciprocating. When that person at work takes the credit for our idea, we pray for them to have their own creativity instead of shunning them. When the ex says that he’s really changed this time, instead of rolling on the floor laughing, I pray that he really has. Wasn’t always so. I never knew how freeing it could be to pray for and in that, to love my enemies until I did it.
So won’t you try it, huh? Pick someone that you can’t forgive. Maybe something really bad has happened to you. God knows what it is and He even knows how you are feeling right now. Try something different to try to heal – pray for that person. Start by praying all the success and love for them that you would want for yourself. Try it more than once, heck you may have to pray that you will even be able to try, but you’ll get it. Get it?
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