Love’s Power to Change Everything and Everyone
I’m carrying on one more day of recognizing the power of love. The power to overpower hate with love. Martin Luther King Jr. did that and he gave his life for it. I started thinking about how illogical Jesus’ words seem to be in Matthew 5:44. “Love your enemies! Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hate you! Pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you!” Does that make any sense at all – love our enemies? It does — in the light of the ONE Who said those words and gave HIS life to prove they make a profound difference in this world.
How is it possible to love our enemies? How can we do good to those who hate us, curse us, use us and persecute us? And, even a step further, “bless them and pray for them”? It seems impossible, but Dr. King explained it well in this quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” There is another reason Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies’. It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. That power eventually transforms the lives of people. We just keep loving them, and they won’t be able to stand it. The power of our love will break down under the load. Love is redemptive, and that’s why Jesus said, “Love.” Love builds up and creates. Hate tears down and destroys. So build up. Create. LOVE!
I try to live by the words, What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD), in determining what action to take in situations. He set the example for us in every area of our lives. He had enemies – plenty of them. They rejected Him, tortured Him and even killed Him. He loved them anyway. And if we believe in Him, it’s time to be that kind of lover, too, and say to our enemies, “I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” When we live that way, we’ll find the strength to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who spitefully use us. Getting even with our enemies isn’t even in the equation. Blessing them is.
We are living in a time where there is so much need for love, more so than ever. It starts with each of us reaching deep inside and connecting to THE ONE Who lives big within us and with His love, we can offer our loving selves to others, not because we seek anything, but because our cup is full of love and we have nothing more to do than simply share it with others.
I invite you today to be the change you want to see in the world, to be love and loving towards others. If we can let go of our anger long enough to pray like this, we’ll discover an amazing benefit – we’ll be putting ourselves in a position TO BE blessed and loved!