Matthew 5:44-45 (VOICE) …Pray for those who torment you and persecute you— in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven…
Beloved, when someone wrongs you, you do not have to return it in kind. Instead of stooping to their negative behavior, respond with a heart that reflects Me. One filled with compassion and mercy. For any ill they’ve done or said against you is a greater reflection of them and their character than it is of yours.
Choose wisely what you want your character to reflect. If you want to reflect Me, respond to those who wrong you with forgiveness (even if they haven’t asked) and love (even if they don’t want it). For in reflecting godly behavior, you bless and honor Me, so let that be enough encouragement and resist the urge to rely on any human response.
Matthew 5:44-48 (VOICE) But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you— in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven. He, after all, loves each of us—good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner. It is easy to love those who love you—even a tax collector can love those who love him. And it is easy to greet your friends—even outsiders do that! But you are called to something higher: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”