That’s a tough one. The whole loving your enemies thing is something you can only do through the power of the risen Christ indwelling inside of you, because it’s not a natural reaction but a supernatural one.

I still remember reading that the key to Christianity isn’t so much loving Jesus as it is loving Judas. Remember that Jesus loved and served and prayed for Judas knowing full well that he would betray Him. He forgave the ones who were in the very act of killing Him and then He died for them.

It helps to remember who you were before God saved you. It helps to think about what you could have been apart from the grace of God. As bad as any Hitler or Stalin who has ever lived, that could have been me under the right circumstances and without the intervening mercy of God.

That’s why grace and mercy are so important. And above all, forgiveness is key. Especially when you consider how much God has forgiven you. Jesus even said in the Lord’s prayer that we should pray for God to forgive us as we have forgiven others.

That’s why I won’t ever give up on anyone or quit praying for them, because I know that God could very easily have given up on me all the many times when I was obstinate or unloveable. My prayer is that I will show the same grace that I have received. Actually, that’s my prayer for all of us.