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Do Not Curse Your Enemies

Daily Devotional – Saturday, April 8, 2023
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:14 (NKJV)

In my country, some politicians often begin their addresses with ‘Praise the Lord!’ and end with curses against perceived enemies. There is a belief that God is on ‘our’ side while the devil is the captain of the enemy camp. Condemning the enemy using vitriolic and vulgar language in the Name of Jesus is largely acceptable.

Bless those Who Curse You

Whenever I listen to such speeches, I wonder how Jesus would have reacted, if He were on earth. Here are His words during the Sermon on the Mount: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).

Who was the immediate audience of this sermon? Majority were poor people under the oppression of Roman rulers and soldiers. Many had experienced unfair treatment from tax collectors. Quite a number were treated with disdain by the religious leaders of the day. Yet, Jesus asked them to love their enemies because that is what their Father in heaven wanted.

Doing the Unthinkable

Paul had a similar message to Christians in Rome. He wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14). How could they love those who maltreated and imprisoned them? Was it possible to avoid cursing those who had martyred innocent believers? Well, in other faiths, it was impossible but in Christianity, it was a command.

It is human to want to hate and curse those who have brought you immense pain, especially those who do it deliberately. After all, should they not suffer the same pain they have caused you? Contrariwise, Jesus demands that you forgive, pray for and bless your enemies. Of course, this demands divine power and intervention.

Do Not Curse Your Enemies

If you are tempted to hate someone who has hurt you, ask God for the power and willingness to forgive such an individual. Change your language from animosity and cursing, to love and blessing. Moreover, pray for a person you know is having difficulties forgiving those who have hurt him or her. Determine, by God’s grace not to curse your enemies.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, give me power and willingness to bless those who have hurt me and not to curse them.

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