Bless

bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Luke 6:28 (ESV)

Our gut reaction when someone curses us is to curse them back, maybe with interest! If someone abuses us, we may well be tempted to seek revenge. Jesus calls us to another way.

Instead of cursing back, Jesus commands us to do the opposite. We're to bless those who curse us. When people want to kick us when we're down, we should seek to edify them.

A blessing can diffuse conflict. Even if it doesn't, it's the right thing to do. We're to be the change we want to see in the world.

Instead of abusing abusers back, we should pray for them. We can pray for them to get their comeuppance. It's even better to pray that they would repent and be transformed.

'Lord our God, please help us to emulate Christ Jesus and not to retaliate against those who offend us. In His name, amen'.

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