Loving Others

Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT) 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus raises the bar by telling us that we need to love our enemies as well as our neighbor. It’s an easy thing to love those who don’t love us. Jesus says that even non-believers can do that. As believers – we have a higher standard. We are to rise above what is normal and go the distance when it comes to love. As I read this passage this morning I was struck by the fact that I would rather do what is easy rather then what is hard. It’s easy to love my friends and my family. It’s hard to love the unlovable at times. Or is it? On my own – I would never be able to do that. But with God’s power I not only can but I take pleasure in loving everyone. I really enjoy reaching out to those who don’t feel loved or haven’t experienced the love of God. In fact, a lot of what I do in life is measured by the fact that I’ve become a loving person in spite of those who are unlovable around me. My prayer is that I would be able to grow in my capacity to love people – even those that don’t love me in return.