One of the many things God has been teaching me in 2016 is what it truly means to love your enemies. The way God asks me to love people who hurt me and just don’t accept me seemed strange at first.

God says, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.” – Luke 6:27

It’s easy to love someone who loves your back. It seems impossible to hope for the best for someone who does everything to destroy you. But “If you only love those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!” – Luke 6:32

The example God gives on how to love our enemies is through Jesus. Before Jesus died to save us, we were God’s enemies, yet he loved us. We spit in his face, disobeyed his law and destroyed his land over and over. “You were his enemies. Separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.” – Colossians 1:21

And what did he do? He sent his son to die to for us to bring us home.

“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” – Romans 5:10