44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? -Matthew 5:43-46 (KJV)
God blesses us when we seek to bless others with the love of Jesus Christ. The power of Christ's love works in our lives in wonderful and powerful ways. Pray for those we might otherwise have hated. Are you aware that when we hate someone we give the person a certain amount of control over us? Hatred will interfere with our rest, sleep, appetite, concentration, and overall peace of mind. On the other hand, forgiveness, prayer, and the love of Jesus Christ liberates us.
The love of Jesus, functioning in us,
unshackles us from the power of hatred. Jesus Christ overcomes
sin, evil, hell, and the grave, and add hatred to the list as well.
We are then empowered to bless rather than hate. Furthermore, we are released from the burden of holding grudges
and bitterness in our hearts. A relationship with Jesus Christ gives us power to bless others by His light
shining from us. Those around us see Jesus in us and they are
blessed in the process. They will be reminded of how real Christ is in us, and if He is real to us He will be real to them.
I read a story about a man
who was at a national park, and he observed a grizzly bear eating with
a skunk. The grizzly
allowed no other animal to eat with him. Although he resented the skunk,
the bear would not pick a fight with him. He had no doubt learned the
high cost of getting even!
Hatred will tear us apart. We
bless others and we do ourselves a world of good when we let Jesus overcome hatred
with His love. According to God's Word, it is better to walk the
extra mile, pray for our enemies, turn the other cheek, or give away a coat,
than to end up with a bad case of nerves, ulcers, or sleepless nights, which is what hatred and bitterness brings.
Jesus Christ liberates us from the insidious forces of hatred. Trust the Lord, walk in faith, and experience the joyous freedom of Christ today.
God bless you.
