Daily Devotional Details

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Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:14

When someone is cruel—constantly drawing attention to your weaknesses, always assuming the worst about you—your natural inclination will be to focus on the injustice, how inexcusable it is. And when that happens, your own heart becomes hard.

But God says, “Bless those who persecute you!” A generous person gives more of something than is necessary. What is given here is your blessing. God says, “Give it where it is not deserved and where it may never be returned, because this is how I have dealt with you in Christ.”

How are we to do this?

Reflect on the example of Jesus
When the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, he did not curse them: “When he was reviled he did not revile in return” (1 Pet. 2:23), he prayed for them: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they are doing.” If you do good and suffer for it, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

Consider what the other person may have suffered
An old writer named Robert Candlish says, “When a wrong is done to you, put yourself in the shoes of the person who has brought you pain and ask yourself what you would have been if his (or her) story had been yours, if you had experienced what he or she has endured?”

Remember how God has dealt with you
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). He loved us when we were hostile (Rom. 8:7). When we were God’s enemies, he reached out and made us his friends (Rom. 5:10).

Which of these softens your heart toward a person who has been cruel to you?