One-minute read.
God, Most High, shows kindness to the ungrateful and wicked. Starting from the end of the verse may help us understand the beginning of the verse. Defining the ungrateful and wicked may cause certain people to pop into your mind, but does it make you think of yourself? Each of us has complained about something in our lives we wish God had done differently. And everyone has done something wicked, i.e., sinned. Jesus came to Earth because of our ungrateful and wicked natures that needed saving from ourselves.
Now, when we think of our enemies, and whatever they did to become that way, maybe we have a slightly different perspective. Judging them through our eyes can lead to incorrect assessments, but looking at them through Christ’s eyes helps us see their humanity, a condition we all share. All of us fall short of the mark and need grace and mercy from above. When we do good for our enemies, we exemplify Jesus and share His divine nature with others.
Praying for those who hurt you helps begin the process of doing good for them. As we begin to see them in a different light, it will soften our hearts and help us love them for the sake of Jesus. But we can’t do it without God. In our human nature, they remain our enemy. But when we align our hearts with the Lord’s and see things from His perspective, it becomes easier to live out the command to love our enemies.
Journal Question:
How does acknowledging your sin help you show grace to others?
Random Act of Kindness:
How can you actively love someone you deem an enemy today?
