Day 17 — Love Your Enemies

“But to those of you who will listen, 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 (BSB)

Jesus said some hard things. But this might be the hardest: “Love your enemies.”

Who are your enemies? Maybe there’s a kid at school who always makes fun of you. Maybe someone spreads rumors about you, pushes you around or leaves you out on purpose. Maybe there’s someone who just seems to hate you, and you don’t even know why.

This is sometimes called bullying, and it hurts. If you’re being bullied, please know it’s not your fault. You don’t deserve it. And God sees what’s happening to you.

Before we talk about what it means to love enemies, here’s something really important:

Loving your enemies does not mean letting them keep hurting you. If someone is bullying you, hurting you or making you feel unsafe, tell a trusted adult: a parent, a teacher, a school counselor or a pastor. Keep telling until someone helps. That’s not tattling. Tattling is trying to get someone in trouble over something small. Telling is trying to get help when someone is being hurt. God wants you to be safe.

So what does it mean to love your enemies? Jesus explains it:

• “Do good to those who hate you.” Don’t try to get even. Be kind anyway.
• “Bless those who curse you.” When they say mean things, don’t say mean things back.
• “Pray for those who mistreat you.” Ask God to change their hearts.

Love doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with someone who hurts you. It means you refuse to hate them back. You treat them with basic kindness, and you want what’s truly good for them, including that they would know God.

David showed this kind of love. King Saul chased him and tried to kill him. Once, David had the perfect chance to kill Saul in a cave. His men said, “Do it!” But David refused. He wouldn’t harm Saul, even though Saul was trying to harm him (1 Samuel 24). David left it in God’s hands.

And the greatest example is Jesus. We were God’s enemies because of our sin, and Jesus loved us anyway. He died for the very people who were against Him.

This kind of love is impossible on our own. But with God’s help, He can grow it in you.

Think about it: Who is someone who is hard for you to love right now? What’s one way you could “do good” to them or pray for them?

Try this: Pray for someone who has been unkind to you. Ask God to bless them and change their heart. And if someone is hurting you, tell a trusted adult today.

Dear Jesus, loving my enemies is so hard. Please help me not to hate people who are mean to me, but to pray for them instead. Give me courage to tell a grown-up when I need help. Thank You that You loved me when I was Your enemy. In Your name, Amen.