Hurt isn’t a Seed to be Buried

Hurt causes us to see enemies instead of our fellow man. Truly praying good (and meaning it) for “our enemies” — and not wishing justice or vengeance upon them is a shift that needs to happen in all of us.

This shift (into “loving the undeserving”) is aligning ourselves with the gospel instead of opposing it.

Even when we have differing perspectives or even when we have unresolved hurt — the resolution doesn’t come by both sides ignoring it to fester or by continuing to feed the hatred, the bitterness, and the division.

We all need to pray good for them — and that they would pray good for us — and that if either or neither of us are yet able to do that for each other that others will know and pray for us until we can.

And we should seek out those who are hurt and hurting and divided — and pray genuine, heartfelt prayers for reconciliation — that we will all not see enemies but brothers and sisters and the beloved of God, created in His image — who He was willing to come live among us, die for or sins, and be raised to new life as The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

In these politicized, divided times, where hurt people are hurting each other — where people’s words and actions tear at each other violently like two wild animals fighting to the death — we all need to not just hear the gospel or speak the gospel, but to be the gospel.

#Forgiveness #Prayer #Reconciliation #FellowMan #YouAreNotMyEnemy

“This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.
John 15:12 AMP

And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.
1 John 4:21 AMP

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one . And take the helmet of salvation , and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.
Ephesians 6:12‭-‬18 AMP