Luke 6:27-31 But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Today’s selection of verses does not appear to speak of friendship, but by the end of our devotion hopefully it will make sense of how it can. In this portion we are being instructed on how we should live. We are to live a life of love, not vengeance or enmity. Jesus tells us we should not be seeking revenge and should do good to those who are against us. We should do unto others as we would have done unto us. So where does friendship come in?
In Matthew 5:44 we see that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In Hebrews 13:16 the author says don’t forget to do good and share with others. And in Romans 13:8 we see that whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. There are many other verses that teach us how we should act with others, both enemies and believers. The common denominator in all verses is love.
I have learned from experience that when we pray for those who have wronged us, hurt us, or who we consider enemies, our attitude changes. The more I have prayed for these people, the less I have felt hurt or wronged. As I have prayed I have had my own heart changed. I have found that doing good for others and praying for them transforms my entire view of them. I don’t know that I would say I sought out friendships with them, but I can say that God changed how I saw them and interacted with them.
Try it for yourself. Think of someone who has wronged you in some way and forgive them. Begin to lift them up in prayer. Ask God to be at work in their life and to bless them. And watch your own heart begin to change. It is truly amazing how God transforms your outlook. So give freely, pray wholeheartedly, forgive. And embrace the new relationship that begins to develop as a result.
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