Who Matters Most?

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27-28 (NIV) 

What do you do when someone has wronged you?

What is your response to the one who hurt you deeply, but is not asking for forgiveness? What about the person who does not even recognize the wrong?

Jesus answers these questions in today’s verse. He teaches that love doesn’t just forgive. Love offers forgiveness with no strings attached. 

Why is this so difficult? One of the main obstacles to loving and forgiving in this way is that if you do this–if you really do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you–then very few people, if anyone, will know that you have been hurt. 

By nature, we want people to know when we’ve been wronged. We would like sympathy. If we are kind to our enemy, we want our generosity to be recognized.  

But Jesus invites you to receive His love and forgiveness and then pass it on. Instead of drawing attention to your hurt, you live in a hope-filled, joyful, and gracious way. No one will even know that you have been rejected, insulted, betrayed, or wounded – except One person. 

Your greatest need is not that your hurt be recognized or vindicated, but rather that God means more to you than anything else. When you obey His Word and offer grace and forgiveness–especially where it is not requested or deserved–you show that He matters most to you.

Here is the question to ask yourself: Is it enough that God knows you have been wounded? Is it enough to let Christ attend to your hurt? He is your faithful High Priest who suffered in every way that you have. 

Center your heart on Christ rather than on people. When you obey Jesus and do good to those who wrong you, handing them entirely over to the Lord, you glorify and please God. And He matters most.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I admit that it is not easy to obey Your Word to love my enemies. Please forgive me for the times that I care more about what other people think than what You think. Change my heart and continue to draw me closer to You until nothing and no one matters more to me than obeying and honoring You. In Your name I pray, Amen.