Humanity by nature says, “I will love you if you love me, but if you don’t love me then I am not obligated to love you”.

Jesus taught a different kind of love, and it is found in what is known as “The Sermon on the Mount”. We find it in Matthew 5:44 where He says, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...”

He goes on to say by doing so it identifies a person with being a child of God. In verse 45 it reads, “that you may be children of your Father in heaven”.

In places where Christians are persecuted, what opens the persecutors eyes is the love shown to them in the midst of their hatred and cruelty. It can make a difference in our job or school or family or neighborhood if our response to hatred is love. This is made possible through the Spirit of God living in and through us.

So, what kind of love are you showing in the world where the Lord has placed you?