PM#0424
Bless Them that Curse You
Matthew 5: 44
When you have been falsely accused, can you respond in a manner that says I love you?
Most of us when falsely accused will respond defensively, and desire to set the record straight. Is this the way Christ has taught us to respond?
Christ showed us another way in Matthew 5: 44. It says: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you;”
This is a difficult command for many of us because when we are hurt or have been falsely accused, we receive it personally. Christ too could have reacted against those who crucified Him, but He chose to forgive them while He hung on the Cross.
Perhaps we should seek the Lord in prayer for His help in showing love to others and blessing them through prayer. Consider a prayer like this:
‘Father, I ask your help to be able to show your Love through blessing others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.’
Our responses in many situations are what you might call ‘reactionary’. Often these reactions are defensive, and if you took a close look at them, those defensive reactions could easily become a curse. That brings us to a difficult question, what would Jesus do?
In Matthew 5:44 He said to ‘Forgive’, and he also demonstrated this when He suffered the painful cross and said in Luke 23:34 when He said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
It is very difficult to forgive, but that is what Jesus wants us to do. A thought about this—does that mean we roll over and play dead? No—in forgiving we need to pray. Christ prayed to the Father when he was hung on the Cross of Calvary. We need to pray for others, and for our heart our responding to them. We try to fight the battle, but it is best to start on our knees, forgiving, and standing for the truth, letting God direct us His way.
I would like to share another thought about forgiving, forgiving frees a person. I have seen many times when one forgives, or one asks forgiveness, the shackles that kept a barrier up for sometimes many years are removed. This is of importance in Day to Day personal relationships in families, Parents to Children and vise versa, and other personal relationships—family, friend, or business. Again—ask the Lord to help you forgive, and then consider blessing the other when you do.
Link:
http://prayerminutes.blogspot.com/2016/06/pm424-bless-them-that-curse-you-matthew.html
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