[258 words]
It was said about Jesus, “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them until the end” (John 13:1). People talk about falling in love and falling out of love. Children tell each other, “you are not my best friend any more.”
But when you think about Jesus loving his own, you must remember that Peter was in that group. Judas was even in that group. Is it possible for our friends to hurt us even as much as Judas or Peter hurt Jesus? Do we love our own until the end?
It might be that we can answer how much we love people by the way we treat them. God is love and Christians are his children, so you must be loved also. Many people hurt us in so many ways, but think of how many people have hurt God by their sin. So we never have the right to do evil to anyone. Love is kind; love is not rude. It doesn’t matter what others do to you, you must show love. “Repay no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:17).
We can love someone who doesn’t love us. Jesus told us to pray for those who persecute us. When we decide to do evil instead of good, we have turned away from God and turned toward being like the devil. You are aware that the devil’s followers will be lost because sin separates us from God. We are to love God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves.
Do not give up!
Vernon Curry
Highland Drive church of Christ
Poplar Bluff, MO