One of the hardest things that Jesus asks us to do is to love our enemies. I can easily accept His teachings on loving the Lord or loving my neighbor, but loving people who have hurt me is a struggle. I want to lash out and hurt those who have hurt me. I want to get even, I want my pound of flesh. But that’s not what Jesus says. I have to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me.

While my desire to hurt those who hurt me is great, my desire to hurt those who hurt my kids is greater still. While some of our kids have experienced physical trauma, all of them have relational wounds. They are our kids and their wounds have become our wounds, and their hurts have become our hurts, and we want justice for them. But Jesus says we have to pray for those who persecute us…and our kids.

How many of us are lifting our kids birth families up in prayer? How many of us are paying for their healing and well-being? How many of us are praying for their salvation? May we always be the kind of people who love like Jesus told us and showed us by loving our enemies and praying for those who have hurt us.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for you love and protection. Loving my enemy is hard, especially when hurting my kids has put enmity between us. I confess that I don’t want to love them, yet I know that I must. Please teach me to love them. Thank you for showing us a better way.

In Jesus name, Amen

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)