If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. - Luke 6:32 (NASB)
This word of the Lord has been a driving force for me to love who I consider unlovable. The second part of the scripture justifies why I, who call myself a follower of Christ, must practice what I have read.
Was God really calling me to love those who betrayed me? Those who caused me physical, emotional and financial harm? Did this mean I had to put myself in harms way again to love them? Yes and no. Yes, to loving and no to putting myself in harms way. But how do I accomplish this?
I had to know God’s will for my life and I knew that God created each one of us in His image and He desires that no one should perish, then He tells me to pray for those who persecute and wrongly accuse me.
At first, when praying these truths, I prayed broken and with clenched fists. As time went on, I found myself seeing the “unlovable” through a different set of eyes. In my case, some relationships were not restored, by their choice, but I was restored.
Please consider reading Genesis 1:27, 2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 5:44 and ask the Lord to open your eyes to see through His eyes, to help you love others in their sinfulness, as He did for you and me.
Father, this is not an easy task to accomplish but that is why we need you, our Savior. Let Your word be active in us and fill us with grace to love the unlovable and live in Your freedom.
This devotion by author, Terrie Miles, is exclusively and solely shared with permission to New Beginnings Church. Any unauthorized printed reproduction, sharing or use of this material is prohibited.
