We often treat kindness like a business deal, giving only what we receive. In today’s Daily Devotional for June 16, The Choice to Rise Above, we reflect on how Christ invites us to live by a standard much higher than our own instincts.
The Choice to Rise Above – Daily Devotional for June 16
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
Breaking the Cycle of Exchange
Our human nature tells us to love those who love us and to turn away from those who treat us poorly. We tend to live by an economy of exchange: “I will be kind to you if you are kind to me.” While this may feel fair and understandable, Jesus reminds us that it is just worldly logic. Even those who do not know God act this way.
The life of the Kingdom is different. God’s love is not a reaction to our behavior. It is like the sun that shines on everyone and the rain that falls on both the just and the unjust. God loves us because He is love, not because we have earned it.
When Jesus calls us to love our enemies, He is calling us to rise to a higher level. He is inviting us to stop being automatic devices that react to every stimulus with anger.
When someone offends us, our natural reaction is to strike back, but love acts like a brake. It says: “I am not a slave to my anger; I choose a different way.” Loving an enemy does not mean we ignore injustice, but it means we refuse to let hatred take root in our hearts.
Devotional for every day: Daily Devotional
Prayer for Today
Lord, my instinct is to protect myself and to hold grudges when I am hurt. Please forgive me for the times I have kept score and limited my love only to those who are easy to like. Help me to mirror Your grace today. Give me the strength to pause when I am provoked, and the wisdom to choose love over my own anger. May I be a person who acts out of Your grace rather than out of my own hurts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
To You
Is there someone who is difficult for you to love? Today, instead of reacting to their behavior, take a moment to pray for them, asking God to help you see them through His eyes and to protect your own heart from bitterness.
