Impossible Grace

READ: MATTHEW 5:43-47; LUKE 6:27-36; ROMANS 5:6-11; 12:14-21

It’s no secret that people can be grumpy, rude, and downright mean. Every day there’s that family member who’s being noisy, that driver who cut you off in the parking lot, that person in your life who always has something negative to say, or all of the above.

Bottom line: there’s always going to be somebody who makes it seem impossible to love our enemies. There might even be times when you think, “I can’t. I just cannot bring myself to love this person. I know what God’s Word says, and I know that He created this person and wants me to love them like He does, but it’s just so hard!” If you’ve had that thought, you’re not alone. We all struggle with loving our enemies. This is a broken world full of broken people, and sin is something that breaks God’s heart and should break our hearts too.

And the truth is, it is impossible for us to love our enemies. It’s impossible for us to do it on our own. But nothing is too hard for God. Nothing is impossible for Him. Not even loving that person who’s been getting on your nerves, or the person who straight up hurt you.

When people crucified Jesus, mocked Him, and nailed Him to a cross, He said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). I don’t know about you, but I think that kind of grace sounds impossible.

It’s easy to forget we’re no different from the people who put Jesus on the cross. And we’re no different from the people we find difficult to love. We’ve all sinned, and our sin hurts others and breaks God’s heart. Yet, He loves us so much that He was willing to go to that cross. He died for us, and then He rose again so we could be forgiven.

If anyone can help us be loving and gracious to those who are not being loving or gracious to us, it’s Jesus. When we were still His enemies, Jesus sacrificed His very life for us. And once we know Jesus, His Spirit empowers us to love others like He loves us. Isn’t it great that we don’t have to do this on our own? If we let Him work through us, He will help us love our enemies. Even when it seems impossible, nothing is impossible for Him. • Elizabeth Blanton

• Whenever we talk about loving difficult people, we have to remember that “those kinds of people”are us. We all get on each other’s nerves, and we all sin. How might God be inviting you to love difficult people in your life? (If you’ve experienced a deep hurt, who are trusted adults in your life you can talk to about what healthy boundaries might look like?)

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God. 1 John 4:7 (CSB)