TOUGH TRUTH

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

ARE YOU SEEKING?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Luke 6:27-30

"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift-wrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

“To you who are ready for the ‘truth’”…

That right there is some “tough truth” don’t you think? That is some of that as Jack Nicholson would say “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH” truth, huh?

I get it. It is no picnic and seems to fly in the face of our very nature to “love” those who have not shown the same for us. Let’s be honest, if we responded simply out of our natural impulses, we would probably be nice when people were kind and likely be vengeful, angry, or hurtful to those who are the same.

Yet there is Jesus again, going against the norm; setting a different standard, raising the bar for those who believe and follow Him, and He is teaching us to love even when those around us seem unlovable.

Yes, that is right. We are to love the guy who cuts us off in traffic, the one who cheated his way and stole “our”promotion, even that one who hurt you deeply.

That is hard one to swallow I know.

But Jesus showed us that it can and should be done. Jesus didn’t set a standard He wasn’t able to meet Himself and as His representatives, we are to do make every effort to emulate that lifestyle.

2 Corinthians 5:28-20 (MSG)

…The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them.

Never forget, Christ loved us enough to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8

New Life Version (NLV)

⁸ But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Surely, out of gratitude for what He did and with His strength, we, as His followers, can love others.

But trust me, while it’s hard to respond to unkindness with love but when we do it can lead to great blessing. For when we love in the way Jesus loves the Father is pleased and He will bless it.

1 Peter 3:9

⁹Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God—that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].

Treating others as we want to be treated is what builds the deep, satisfying connections that all people desire. It is what Jesus desires of us.

So my encouragement for today is love unconditionally as Jesus loves. You can’t go wrong.

John 14:23
Jesus said, “The one who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Fatherwill love him. We will come to him and live with him.

See?

I love you all.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney