But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. (Luke 6:27)
Have you ever found it challenging to love someone who has wronged you? Who hasn’t? Luke recorded one of Jesus's most challenging commands in this text: to love enemies and do good to those who hate you.
The Greek word for love used in this verse is agape, which refers to a selfless, sacrificial, God-kind of love that looks for the best in others even if their actions and words say otherwise. Living out agape love is not based on how we feel, what we think, or what we have experienced. Living agape is letting His love flow through us toward others. It is making deliberate choices to allow the love of God to flow through us toward others.
When we love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, we allow the Holy Spirit to open the door for them to receive transformation. Your actions of love can soften hearts and change lives.
I know that loving our enemies is not simple, but if the Lord told us to do it, it is possible. It requires a maturity of faith to rely on God’s strength and peace to move us beyond our natural tendencies and desire, and to trust that He is changing things on our behalf.
What a fantastic testimony we show the world around us when they see believers not enacting revenge or fighting back against others but purposely loving those who are rude, mean, spiteful, and angry.
Practical Application
Look for opportunities to do good to those who oppose you. Begin with prayer and move forward into small acts of kindness or more significant gestures that allow God’s love to flow through you.