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“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”‭‭

Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

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Enemies is such a strong word.

We are not at war. We do not take up weapons ready to defeat those who threaten our very existence. It may be easy to read Jesus’ words about enemies and gloss over them.

We do, however, have people who cause something to boil within us. People who stand against us in our faith, or our parenting, or our daily living.

How do you feel about doing good to these groups of people—
Those who differ in political ideologies? Those who slander you in the work place? Those who bully your children at school? Those who betray you, leaving the promises they pledged to keep? Those who are foolish and destroy your hard work? Those who are hardheaded and will not compromise for the greater good?

Jesus’ call to do good, to go above and beyond in generosity, begs us to consider these people.

His desire is for us to be lavish in kindness, patient in affliction, and generous in resources to the very people who have shattered our hearts and sometimes our very existences.

There are days when these words of Jesus feel impossible. To pour out kindness on those who we feel are deserving of our spite is an act of mercy fitting for the King. We may be tempted to tell Jesus, “That kind of love is well and good for you, but it is just not something I am capable of giving.” And that sentence is almost true. It is not something we are capable of giving…alone.

But we have been filled with the Holy Spirit, immersed in mercy and love from the Father, so richly blessed with generous grace by the Son that we cannot help but be changed.

God in His goodness has loved us enough in our cruelty, forgiven us enough in our selfishness, been merciful enough in our ruthlessness, been tender enough in our brokenness, that we know, intimately, the beauty of these gifts. We know how undeserving we are and how His love in these dark places has moved us into the light. We have been changed by God’s goodness, transformed into more of His likeness, and now we look more like our Father.

So when we are tempted to disregard kindness, to set aside generosity, we need only to remember who we have become—sons and daughters of God.

When we choose to love lavishly and forgive endlessly those who are undeserving, we bear the unmistakable image of our Father.

This type of obedience reveals our kinship to the One who has so abundantly loved us, and we are reminded of the rich inheritance bestowed on us through His blood. May we live our lives in a legacy of mercy and grace, especially to the undeserving, for each and every time we will be reminded of our remarkable resemblance to our God.

PRAYER:​
​Jesus, while we were still Your enemies, You died for us. There is no greater love. O Jesus, may we love that recklessly. May we offer all that we have for the undeserving, remembering that that is exactly what You did for us. Jesus, remind us that we bear Your image, for we are Your beloved children. Let us live out Your legacy of lavish love. Amen.

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​STUDY & REFLECTION:

Read 1 Peter 2:13-25.

In what ways does Jesus model generous love to those who were His enemies? How does He find the courage to do this? How does trust in His Father help Him? How does your goodness reveal your Christlikeness to the world?

LIVING UNVEILED AND FREE:

Who has God brought to mind as an “enemy” in your life? Pause and imagine that person. Offer Jesus all of the hurt and sorrow you have borne as a result of their actions. Allow Him to comfort you. Now ask God how you might show kindness and generosity to this person. Ask Him to strengthen you for the task and ask Him to continue offering His lavish love to your hurting heart.
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Meet Our Devotional Writer:

Katie Sue Garcia

Hi, I'm Katie Garcia. I’m a wife of 19 years and a mother of three. I have a gifted and spirited daughter, a brilliant son on the Autism spectrum, and a three year old who also keeps me on my toes. Before becoming a stay at home mom, I was a High School English teacher, and I sure do miss working with teenagers! I still love to read and write and to teach kiddos to love to read and write. I am a teacher at heart. My family started in Tucson, but we currently make our home in Chandler, AZ. I’m afraid I can’t recommend the heat, but I do dearly love our church community. I have been a writer my whole life but started a blog the year I became a teacher. I love to write about scripture and the ways the Lord speaks to me through His word. After losing a child 12 years ago, I found the heart of my writing in the beauty of lament, and the Hope of God meeting me in my sorrow through His promises. I am continuously grateful for the words God has given us, and the ones He gives me specifically to grieve, to praise, and to adore Him.

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