Love That Goes Against the Grain

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

July 12th Sermon, Day 1

Think about the last time someone wronged you. Maybe it was a cutting remark, a betrayal, or just someone being flat-out unkind. What was your first instinct? If you are honest, it probably was not to pray for them. Jesus does not sugarcoat how hard this is. He simply calls us to it anyway. In Matthew 5:44, He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Not pray that they get what is coming to them. Genuine prayer. Prayers asking for God's best in their lives. That kind of love feels impossible because, honestly, it is impossible on our own.

Culture tells us to clap back, to protect our pride, to make sure people know they cannot treat us that way. Jesus points us in a completely different direction. Here is the encouraging part: He is not asking you to manufacture something you do not have. He is inviting you into a different way of living, one that is powered by something far greater than your own willpower.

You do not have to figure this out alone. You just have to be willing to take the first step toward it. This week, we are going to explore what it actually looks like to love people who are hard to love. Not as a self-improvement project, but as a response to what God has already done for us.

Bible Verse

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

Reflection Question

When someone wrongs you, what does your default response reveal about where you are placing your trust?

Quote

"Every day you and I are faced with a choice. We can respond to people the way they treat us, or we can respond to them the way Jesus has treated us."

Prayer

Lord, soften my heart toward the people I find hardest to love. Help me to see them the way You see them, and give me the courage to take one small step in that direction today. Amen.