When I walk out to wait for my granddaughter to collect her from the school bus, I need to cross the road and stand up on the embankment out of the way of traffic.
As the snow mounts in the winter the little hill where I wait, gets higher and higher. Now that Spring has arrived however, the icy mountain has begun to recede. Each day there is a little more ground appearing, although it will be many weeks yet before that cold pile of white stuff completely melts away. Still, the warmth of the sun is doing its’ job bit by bit, just as the warmth of God’s love is able to do the same within our hearts when others have hurt and betrayed us.
The Scriptures make it very clear that we must forgive those who persecute or harm us in any way. And through the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we are able to utter those words of forgiveness toward others and truly mean them. Yet, the memories of what has happened, very often, linger like a cold mountain of snow within our hearts, for memories take time to heal. The pain they impart takes time to recede within our minds under the balm of God’s love, which He not only showers upon us but calls us to share with others, even with our enemies.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6: 27, 28, 31 NIV)
Within these verses we discover five practical ways to love those who have hurt us. Ways, which when we apply them, have the power to heal the bitter memories of those who have transgressed against us.
Peter calls us to love each other deeply. To love someone deeply means to love altruistically. Altruistic love is pure. It is not about what you can get, but about simply loving for the benefit of the other. It is loving without wanting anything in return (Rachael Pace).
Jesus says to do good to our enemies. Feed them. Clothe them. Shelter them. There are many, many ways to do good to others.
We are also to bless them. Joshua Hunt writes: I’ve heard that part of the etymology (the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history) of the term “to bless” is “to add strength to another’s arm.” In this respect, to bless others is to build them up, to fill them with encouragement for them to increase in strength and prosperity.
Praying for those who mistreat us not only changes our hearts toward them from cold and icy to compassion and warmth, but also has the power to bring God’s change into their lives.
Lasting, do to them as you would have them do to you, because love covers a multitude of sin, heals the memories and makes us more and more like Jesus every day.
Prayer: Father God, grant us hearts to love those who mistreat us, as You have called us to. Change the attitudes of our heart as needed that we might love them deeply, do good to them, bless them, pray for them and do unto them as we would have them do unto us. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Atlin, British Columbia, Canada
