Do Good To People Who Harm You
“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do for others as you would have them to do for you.” -- Luke 6:27-31 (NLT)
The other day two friends and I got to talking about people who use other people. You’ve probably got someone like that in your life. They take advantage of your generosity, your good will, your time and talents. And when you finally tell them no, they leave in a snit as though they are the wronged party.
It’s actually kind of funny -- so long as you’re aware of the situation. As one friend said, she knew all along that the person was using her. She let it happen because she was doing something she wanted to do. And when she didn’t, she just said no. And now the person isn’t speaking to her. Oh, well. My friend isn’t shedding any tears.
As God’s people we are called to do good to other people, including those who hate us, hurt us, curse us, and worse. It’s the love we have for those who wrong us that sets us apart from others.
It isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes it’s absolutely hard. Especially when people get upset and angry with you when you won’t do what they ask.
Another friend has struggled with doing God’s will and not being taken advantage of and used by his neighbor. The man uses people and brags about it. My friend is tired of always being called on to be his driver. I don’t blame him. It sounds like his neighbor has crossed a line and my friend is in danger of being an enabler.
Because as much as we want to help people, as much as we are called to do good, we also want people to help themselves. We want people to take responsibility. And we don’t want people to have an attitude when we have to say no, even if it’s something that we want to do.
Yeah, there is that. Sometimes we have to say no even when it’s something we really wish we could do. And those who are users, as opposed to simply people we love, are the ones getting all upset because they didn’t get what they wanted from us.
And still we do good. We love. We care. We help where we can. We try to treat them as we wish they would treat us. Again and again. Because it’s what Jesus would have us do.
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