Getting To The Root Of Love
Thursday, February 6
Reading: Matthew 5:43-48
Loving Our Enemies
Before Reading:
Take a few deep breaths to slow your heart and mind. Pray, inviting God into your thinking over these next few moments. Honestly reflect, and journal on the following questions:
After Reading:
Love is popular in today’s culture…and for good reason! But how we define love vastly changes how we both give and experience love. As followers of Jesus we are commanded to love one another the way Jesus loved us. In fact, Jesus in his final hours before going to the cross taught his disciples:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
The way we love one another is the very thing that sets us apart as followers of Jesus. This is easy when we are loving those who love us…but what about people who disagree with us, or believe differently than us, or look for ways to make our lives more difficult (i.e.”persecute” us)? What does it mean to love them? This is where things get hard.
In his book Irresistible, Pastor Andy Stanley simply asks “What does love require of me?” Sometimes love means doing the hard thing, sometimes loving someone means setting aside our pride, or our hurt. Sometimes love means pausing to consider why someone did something before jumping to conclusions.
Verse 45 says that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (NIV). God blesses the people of God, but he also blesses those who have not put their trust in Jesus yet too. How does this make you feel?
Take a few deep breaths to slow your heart and mind. Pray, inviting God into your thinking over these next few moments. Honestly reflect, and journal on the following questions:
- What is my current mindset and how might it influence my interpretation of what I’m about to read?
- Who in my life is hard to love right now? Can I open my heart to what God may want to say to me about them right now?
After Reading:
Love is popular in today’s culture…and for good reason! But how we define love vastly changes how we both give and experience love. As followers of Jesus we are commanded to love one another the way Jesus loved us. In fact, Jesus in his final hours before going to the cross taught his disciples:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
The way we love one another is the very thing that sets us apart as followers of Jesus. This is easy when we are loving those who love us…but what about people who disagree with us, or believe differently than us, or look for ways to make our lives more difficult (i.e.”persecute” us)? What does it mean to love them? This is where things get hard.
- Think about the person/people you listed at the top of your Enemies List on Monday. Is there anyone in your life who is going out of their way to make your life more difficult? What would loving this person this week look like?
In his book Irresistible, Pastor Andy Stanley simply asks “What does love require of me?” Sometimes love means doing the hard thing, sometimes loving someone means setting aside our pride, or our hurt. Sometimes love means pausing to consider why someone did something before jumping to conclusions.
Verse 45 says that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (NIV). God blesses the people of God, but he also blesses those who have not put their trust in Jesus yet too. How does this make you feel?