LOVING PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD TO LOVE

My all-time favorite sermon titled “Love Your Enemies” delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most powerful speech I’ve ever heard. Americans desperately need to heed the wisdom from this message delivered on November 17, 1957. Dr. King’s anointed words are just as relevant today as they were 67 years ago. Dr. King said: “Love is understanding creative redemptive goodwill for all men.”

Christ’s love is what the world needs more than anything else.

Matthew 5:43-48 says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

It’s easy to love the people who are kind to us and treat us well. The difficulty of loving comes when people are mean to us and treat us unfairly. Judgmental people who say unkind, critical words are the hardest people for me to love. But through Christ’s Spirit and power, I am able to love those who don’t love me.

I believe it’s only through the power of God that we can love our enemies and pray for the mean people to have a joyful life. The people who are hardest to love are the ones who need it the most. Christ’s love flowing through us coupled with prayer will bring transformation.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe. It never fails.

We can make a huge difference in our world if we learn to love all people regardless of our differences and varying beliefs. God (LOVE) will transform our world if we will follow Christ’s command to love our enemies.

I am inspired by the words that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “I still have a dream…men will rise up and come to see that they are made to live together as brothers…” May Dr. King’s dream come true. May we always walk in love and live as peacemakers.

Let’s pray for the CHURCH to rise up and love one another as Christ taught us.

LORD,

Thank You for Your grace and mercy that never ends. Help us to love our enemies with Your perfect love. Help us to love those who persecute us and spitefully use us. Let Your unconditional love be what the CHURCH is known for.

Bring unity and a spirit of brotherhood upon our land. Bring forth countless peacemakers in our country to bring change to our communities and help us live in harmony with each other. Let us all walk together in our diversities as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let every person from every race or background be treated equally with respect and honor. Cover our cities with Your peace and protect our neighborhoods from civil unrest during the days ahead.

Show countless people Your radical love. Speak to the hearts of all the people who call You, “Lord.” Raise us up to be the CHURCH You want us to be. Let us rise up and become people who love You fully and love each other perfectly. Let Your perfect love rule in the hearts of all Your followers. Make us ready for Your return, without a blemish or stain.

Awaken millions of souls to the reality of their need for Christ’s love and peace. Let the greatest spiritual awakening spread across our world. Let us arise in fervent prayer until we see Your kingdom come and Your will be done in America. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I hope you will listen to this powerful sermon…