“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27-28 NIV
Listening
Love a good beat while at work? No matter the age, Canadians enjoy music in the workplace. About eight in 10 Canadians who are allowed to listen to music at work choose to amp up their day with some tunes, according to a new study by staffing firm Accountemps. Workers aged between 18 and 34 have the highest percentage of listeners – 87% – with 73% of those in the 35-54 age range and 57% if those 55 or older also pulling up their playlist.
***
Followers of Jesus are called to live life differently than those who are not. It is more than saying no to those things that are obviously sin, it is also in how we relate to others. It is in loving those who are not easy to love, and who do not express love to us. Jesus couldn’t have been clearer in Luke 6:27-28: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” I love how Jesus is so clear here. He begins with the principle – love your enemies. Then He gets practical. How do you live out that principle? By doing good to those who hate you. That really drives it home – not only are we not to retaliate against those who hate us, we are to actively do something good, something kind for them. We prove we are followers of Jesus by how we act towards those who oppose us, who hate us because of our faith in Jesus. This takes Jesus changing our hearts – from being bitter to bringing blessing. It begins, Jesus says, by praying for them. Do you?
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley