"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

- Matthew 5:44

The Lord God would never ask you to do what He was unwilling to do. He asks you to be holy for He is holy. He asks you to forgive because He forgives. He asks you to love your enemies because He loves His enemies. Would He command you to love in a way He does not? Would He ask that your love be far more reaching than His own? The Scripture is clear that God gave His Son because He loved the world. He loved those who reject Him, those who are sinful and evil and those who oppose Him as the enemies of God. On our own, we do not even like our enemies let alone love them. Therefore, knowing our hearts and our limitations, “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Now we are able to love our enemies and pray for them in the same manner and example given by our Lord. What a blessing that “the love of Christ constrains us” so we can love and pray for those who may not like us, may try to harm us or even succeed in doing so. Be encouraged!

References: Matthew 5:44; John 3:16; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NKJV)