Enemies of the Heart

 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

─ Luke 6:35-36 NLT

Who do you consider your enemies? Maybe it’s someone who bullied you long ago. Maybe it’s someone who angered you, treated you unfairly or caused a hardship in your life. Perhaps there is no one you really perceive as an enemy.

Jesus said to “Love your enemies” … not tolerate them. In our verse today, He uses the loving Father, the Most High, who is kind to the unthankful and wicked as our example. Like Him, we are to be compassionate to those who oppose us.

What about those who provoke you to anger or jealousy, infuriate and frustrate you or bring drama and chaos to your life? Think about those you consider difficult to work with or live with. Is your heart hard toward them? Do you avoid them, or act flippant and nonchalant when they’re in your company?

Do you love them like the Father would? Do you show compassion and genuine kindness? Can you overlook their behavior and love them anyway? The negative emotions you feel when you’re with them create enemies in your heart. When these emotions erupt, it’s time to consider the condition of your heart. It’s time for a deep cleaning of the heart.

Why? Because we are called to be imitators of the Father, showing compassion as He does. When you do, Jesus said, “Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High.”

Today’s One Thing

Do a heart check today and be truly honest with yourself. How do you feel about the difficult people in your life? What emotional buttons are vulnerable to them? Talk to God about making a heart change when it comes to the enemies of your heart.

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