How to Truly Love Your Enemies – Even When It’s Hard
Seek the best for them
Jesus was scourged, smote, stripped, mocked, spat upon, and crucified. Yet, in His distress, He summoned the strength, love, and compassion to beg God to forgive His enemies.
You might also have been maltreated, persecuted, or oppressed, but can you love like Jesus?
Christ demonstrated that love is about seeking the best for ALL (including your enemies). Therefore, to truly be Christlike, you must seek the best for your persecutors.
Christianity is not just about acting kindly towards those who are good. It is about doing all we possibly can to give the best to all, including our tormentors.
Stephen, for instance, while being stoned to death, did not use his last breath to pray for himself, his family, or his friends. Instead, just before he died, he begged God to forgive his murderers. This is the core of Christianity: “Loving even your enemies” to such an extent that you will always seek the best for them because they also know not what they do. (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:58-60; Matthew 5:44)