Love God and hate our neighbor…not an option.

Dear Jesus, Your half-brother James, received a great deal of specific instruction from You. James understood the Law. You taught him and us that to love your neighbor as yourself was a commandment that summarized the last 6 of the 10 commandments. We can not love a person, unsaved or not, and still be their judge. We would ourselves be breaking the Law.

Suffer patiently? How is that possible…

Jesus, our objective is to be like You. We will need a lot of help not to return evil for evil. If people are critical of us, to take such criticism without angrily giving it back to them, doubly for some of us, requires Your Spirit in us.

God will avenge? I can’t wait that long…

Father, it is so difficult not to seek revenge when we are offended. We instinctively react in an aggressive manner whether we know the offender or not. That Father is not Your way. You have told us not to hold a grudge about new or old offenses and to love others as ourselves. There is no way we can do that unless we are filled with Your Holy Spirit. To be like You is to forgive as we have been forgiven.

What is wrong with “getting even”?

Jesus, You taught us that if we do not forgive our enemies You will not forgive us. You said to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Yet when the enemy attacks we are inclined to take matters into our own hands. Give us the courage, we pray, to display patience when our lower nature tempts us to “get even”, right now!

Jesus, O’my God, etc.;praise or blasphemy?

Father, the enemy does blaspheme Your Holy name. Help us never speak Your name and the name of Jesus except reverently. Your hand is not shortened that it can not both heal and destroy. We seek the healing of our hearts and minds this day that we might say, do and think that which is acceptable in Your sight.

Patience! Love! You have to be kidding. He/she is screaming at me!

You give us a constant choice as to whether to declare You to men or to stand in silence. We know that adversity is coming. We choose this day to leave judgment to You and to stand as witnesses in the midst of a world filled with iniquity. May our acquaintances this day know we are Christians by our love? Your response to our question is a resounding yes!

I will show you! Or should I?

Give us a peaceful, gentle and wise reaction when evil comes into our midst, not a vengeful, angry heart. We all have a little “I will show you” in our hearts, but since You are willing to forgive us, we know we must not be vengeful with others.

Will the coming of Christ be a joyful event, for you?

We sometimes want You to destroy evil now, forgetting that we, before our relationship with You was sealed, were evil as well. Father, help us not to judge evil but to look for ways to be a light in a dark place. A soul that is perishing is a devastatingly sad thing to watch. Give us the courage to try, in Your strength, to help others see You as we see You, our Father, Savior, Comforter, Counselor and Refuge.