Romans 12:14, “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
To bless people is to ask God to send them His favor, to give them peace and prosper them. On the other hand, to curse them is to ask God not to send His favor on them, and maybe even to intervene and send something terrible into their lives.
Think of someone who has made life unpleasant for you. A teacher who always picks on you and blames you for things other people do. People who seem to have it in for you and criticize you or make you look bad every chance they get. A boss who doesn’t like you, who gives you all the toughest jobs to do and then gripes about the way you do them. Co-workers who constantly challenge your opinion and make you feel stupid and worthless. Neighbors who are always complaining about something you’re doing wrong–letting your leaves fall in their yard, parking your car in front of their house, or whatever it is.
I’ve had people like that in my life. People who have willfully distorted what I have said to put me in a bad light. People who have gossiped about me and spread false rumors about me behind my back. People who have criticized me severely and misjudged my motives. And I have to tell you, I didn’t feel very kind toward them. I don’t remember asking God to lavish His favor on them, send them peace, or prosper them. In my flesh, I would have been just as happy if they had dropped dead. Is Paul really serious about this? Am I supposed to pray for God’s blessing on their lives? That’s impossible!
Impossible, that is, unless we’ve yielded our wills to Christ, and we’re being transformed by changing our thinking patterns, by renewing our minds with His Word. It’s perfectly human to want some harm to come to them. That’s the way the people of the world think. That’s the way our sinful human nature responds. The only way we will respond differently is to keep drinking in the Word, studying it with an open mind, allowing it to expose our shortcomings, and letting it mold our way of thinking. We need to adopt God’s point of view. Are you willing to be like Jesus? I know it sounds like an impossible dream. But it is possible if we begin to renew our minds with God’s Word and learn to think as He thinks. We show our love by seeking the best for those who harm us.
