Seeing the Face of Christ in Our Workplace--Sunday, March 25

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

How unimaginable it is to be perfect. and extremely difficult to try to be anywhere near perfect in anything.  To love your neighbor and brothers and sisters (family) is effortless, but to love your enemies is difficult.

Leviticus 19:18 gives the command, "Never seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord."  However, this gets very difficult when your character is being assaulted.  This is when Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands by overcoming evil with good.

If you love your enemies and treat them well, you will truly show that Jesus is Lord of life.  This is possible only for those who give themselves to God because He can deliver people from natural selfishness.  We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love.  If we strive to become perfect, we will someday be perfect.  To be perfect we live in the power of God.

Let mistreatment by others remind you to overcome their evil by love.  Love is not a sentiment, alone but a practical concern, blessings, prayer, and positive wishes for well being to friend and enemy alike.  Love is by choice, not circumstance.

Become Christ-like and forgive your enemies just as the ultimate forgiveness spoken by Christ as he was nailed on the cross, "Father, forgive them...."

Donna Wimmler

For reflection:

How have you seen grudges or a desire for revenge wreck havoc in your workplace?

What blessings flow from loving one’s enemies?

Donna writes: “Love is not a sentiment along, but a practical concern…”  What does this mean to you?