Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 144 – Luke 6:27-31 – Love Your Enemies – Growing As Disciples
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:27-31 (NIV)
Your Example
I am speaking to you. Are you listening to me? Yes, I am listening to you. How will we both know for sure that you are really listening to me? That easy to determine. How so? If I am really listening to you, I will do what you are asking of me. I will put into practice what you are showing me. I will follow your example. I will do what you did. I will live as you lived. That is a very good answer to my question. What am I saying to you right now? What am I asking of you right now? What example are your seeing in me right now? You are asking me to live unlike those in the world live. You are asking me to go against every human and earthly and natural instinct that I have within me. How so? When someone is my enemy, I want to be on guard against them. I don’t want to give them any opportunity to harm me. I want all my defenses to be up when I encounter an enemy. I especially don’t want to extend any kindness and mercy and love to an enemy. Far from it, I want to get even with every one of my enemies. My human and earthly and natural desires call for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth with anyone who has hated, cursed, or mistreated me. That is not how I lived. That is not the life that I am calling you to live. Yes, I know. So, it will be very easy to determine if I am really listening to you. My old human and earthly and natural life looks nothing like the life you are calling me to live. No, it does not. You are calling to live a godly, spiritual and supernatural life that will stand out as a bold and bright witness for you in the world. You want me to love my enemies. You want me to do good to those who hate me. You want me to bless those who curse me. You want me to pray for those mistreat me. You want me to treat others just how I would like to be treated. Yes, I do. I am excited about living this kind of life. I will happily listen to you. I will joyfully follow your example. Why is that? What is the cause of your excitement, happiness and joy? I know that you will help me to live this kind of life. You will make me able to live like you lived. You will cause me to be a bold and bright witness for you in the world. Yes, I will. Nothing is better than that. Listen to me and follow my example. Yes Lord, I will. That is very good.
Lord, I am listening. I will follow your example. I will do what you have done. I will love my enemies. I will do good to those who hate me. I will bless those who curse me. I will pray for those who mistreat me. I will do to others what I would like done to me. Amen
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