God desires LOVE, MERCY & KINDNESS from our lives!
October
23 Bible Reading: Luke Chapters 4-6
God desires LOVE, MERCY & KINDNESS from our lives!
"But love your enemies, do good,
and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you
will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:35-36)
Our Lord
Jesus Christ states here that we should love
our enemies, do good and lend, hoping
for nothing in return. Such behavior is distinctly Christian and marks us apart
from others. This is the way true
believers manifest themselves to the world as children of God. God is kind to the unthankful and the evil
people. When we act like God, we show that we have been born of God. To show
mercy means to forgive when it is in our
power to avenge. Our heavenly Father showed us mercy by not giving us the
punishment we deserve. In the similar manner, He wants us to show mercy to others as well.
Jesus wants
our actions to go far beyond what is considered morality by the world, and our standards
surpass those of sinners. The practice of loving our enemies was modeled by God
Himself. Christian love finds its motivation in God’s love for us. Because God
does not give or withhold His kindness dependent upon the character of the
recipient, so we must be indifferent in our extension of kindness to friends
and enemies alike (see Lev. 19:18). Extending the mercy of God into our
relationships transforms our behavior into supernatural testimonies. Mercy and grace are godly character qualities that distinguish believers as
genuine children of God (vv. 32–36).
What
difference does our faith make in the way we respond to people in need? Do we respond to people as God Himself
does, with mercy (v. 36)? We need to show kindness
even to those who wish to do harm to us. Only then will we reflect the heart of
the One, who while we were yet enemies, paid the ultimate price to come to our
rescue. Our love for Christ is only as real as our love for our neighbors!
"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48)
