A Loving Habit

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” Luke 6:35

We have all been around that one person who verbally attacks us with their words or berates us for no reason. Perhaps you work with someone like that or even live with someone like that. Maybe the cruel words are subtly spoken after church as you mingle with others you would consider to be friends. Malicious people will always be with us. Instead of worrying how to best avoid them or thinking of ways to reciprocate their unkind actions, we are to respond in a loving manner, as Christ would.

But why do we need to make this a habit, despite the fact that these individuals don’t deserve our mercy? Jesus mentions that God treats ungrateful and evil people with kindness. Loving one’s enemy is tough, but Jesus gives us practical ways to do so. He tells us to be good to them, and to respond with calmness towards them. Then pray for them. It doesn’t matter if we don’t feel like it. The more we pray for that individual, the more our initial feelings of bitterness or anger will disappear.

And who are these people exactly? They are just like you and me — people who were once categorized as ungrateful and evil until God washed our sins away. We used to be hostile to God, but he changed us. And if he can change us, he can change them. We must always keep that thought at the forefront of our minds.