38“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’39But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.40If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.41If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.42Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.43“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.47If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.48But you are to be dperfect, even as your Father in heaven is dperfect.
Now lets live this one! Listen to what Jesus is saying! We are to be kind and generous and loving…period! It was a great revelation to me when I realized I was called to judge my own actions by an entirely different standard. It is natural for us to look at how we acted in a situation and say, “I certainly handled that better than_____.” Or maybe: “Yes, I got mad, but I didn’t say anything nearly as cruel as she did.” Or, “Everybody does it.” And finally: “I’m not letting them walk all over me.” By nature we compare our actions to the actions of the other people around us and we try to be better than they are.
But that is not the standard. I am only to compare my actions the actions of Jesus. Jesus could have called down legions of angels, but quietly was whipped, and beaten, and lied about, and finally murdered on a cross. Do I ever have an excuse to be mean, or harsh, or angry? Looking good compared to my enemy is completely worthless. How I am treated is complete irrelevant to how I must treat others.
Lord, help me to always bear the fruits of Your Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and completely ignore how others treat me. Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*
This is truly awesome
I was reminded of this poem I keep on my refrigerator, written by Mother Teresa:
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered:
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will some fale friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
This has been on my fridge for a LONG, LONG time and gave me some good inspiration to keep going when I was daily facing a supervisor who was “picky” and mean-spirited. We can find it so easy to get frustrated when we try to be nice and others refuse to see it, but God sees everything, and if we let him help us, he builds our character through those trials, and they become much easier to handle!! Prayer helps tremendously!!!!
What an inpirational poem – thanks for sharing!
I agree – what an awesome poem. Thanks!