Reference: Luke 6:32-36 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 

Observation: As His children, we should be like our Father in heaven. How often have we been simply thrilled that God is kind to us when we are unthankful or wicked? How grateful are we that He is compassionate to us"even when we don’t deserve it.

Yet, we find it much easier to love our friends, and while we don’t hate our enemies, we, too often, simply ignore them and hope that they will go away and leave us alone.
Jesus tells us that the real test of our love is not how we love those who love us, but how we love those who hate us. How does Jesus suggest we show our love for them? (Now this is difficult!)
      *  Love them"actively seek their highest good

      *   Do good things for them"actively serve them at their point of need

      *  Give them money if they need it

      *   Instead of rejoicing when hard times come into their lives, feel with them, hurt with them
Why do all this? Because we are children of a God that acts like this towards us and asks us to act like He does and you will be rewarded in heaven. Now that is quite a tall order. 

Application/Confession: "There are some people in my life that I feel have betrayed me. I have given up hating them and I am working on forgiving them but what I want to do, at this point in time, is to simply ignore them"pretend that they don’t exist. If I am going to be true to my calling to be like Jesus, to be a true son of my Father in heaven, then I need to go beyond cold indifference and be willing to actively act in loving ways towards them.
Man, I will absolutely need God’s help on this one!!"

I wrote that a year ago. Since that time God has brought healing and a new sense of restoration. I no longer feel astranged from them. I am so glad for what God does to work in my life.

PRAYER: Thank you that you are at work in me and in others. Thank you that you have brought healing and wholeness to relationships that were broken. You are a good God and a faithful one.