TAKING THE HARD WAY

Luke 6:27-36
27 I tell you who hear Me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. . . . 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" lend to "sinners," expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

When it comes to physical health, we believe experts who tell us that what we eat is important. Why, then, are we so slow to believe that what we take into our bodies through our eyes and ears affects our spiritual health? When we join a sports team, we expect to put in long hours of practice, and we wouldn't expect any right-minded coach to put us into a game if we didn't know the rules. So why do we expect God to use us for something great even though we live on the spiritual equivalent of junk food, read the Bible as if it were a good-luck charm, and seldom attempt to put into practice what it says?

When it comes to physical fitness, we know that being an armchair quarterback will not get us into the football hall of fame. Why, then, do we sit on the spiritual sidelines yet expect to become strong in the Lord?

Fitness expert Greg Landry gives this advice: "Look for the 'hard' way to do things--the way that requires the most energy expenditure. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking far away from the mall are just two ways to burn more calories while doing daily chores."

When you think about it, this is like the spiritual advice Jesus gave when He said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27). Being kind to those who are nice to us requires no spiritual strength; anyone can do it. But being kind to our enemies requires spiritual training equivalent to that of an Olympic athlete. We can't do it without spiritual coaching, lots of practice, and even lots of falls.

To discover the mighty things God wants to do through us, we have to attempt difficult things through Him--like forgiving those who hurt us instead of feeding on thoughts of revenge, and being kind to those who hate us instead of drinking from the jug of anger. Doing what's difficult can eventually make life easier. --Julie Ackerman Link

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why do I cling so stubbornly to my "right" to get even?
* Who is the last person in the world who would expect an act of kindness from me?
* What can I do to surprise him or her?

LINKS:
Weight Loss Expert Greg Landry on The Sideroad
http://www.sideroad.com/consultants/Weight-Loss-Expert-greg_landry.html

How Can I Forgive Someone Who's Broken My Trust?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/questions/broken trust5.html

bottom line: Growth comes as we dig through the hard soil.

soul journey