The Heart of the Matter

by Bev Beymer

Can you follow and keep this saying? "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." ??

Perhaps this is a hard thing to ask of us. To some, who have studied, understood, practiced and conquered, this is not so hard. But, let¹s examine this closer. Love your enemies? Do good to those who hate you? Hah! Bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you????? Oh Please! ... "That creep fired me for no reason...all I did was tell Tom Johnson about Jesus...It is a free country and I can tell anybody I want to...Just because it was on our work time. I was doing my work. He hates me...I don¹t have the money coming in now to take care of my family...I don¹t know what I am gonna do....And you want me to LOVE him???? DO GOOD to him??? BLESS him??? PRAY for him????"

Why would God ask us to do something so hard for us to do. Something so against our very nature???? How can we turn the other cheek when we just got slapped up side the head??? It hurt...didn't it??? So, now lets turn the head around and allow it to be done to the other side??? And not only that, the guy slapped me up side my head and took my jacket now you are telling me I have to give him my baseball cap too??? What's up with this? Sounds rather crazy doesn¹t it? So, What is it ? Reverse psychology??? Why WOULD God ask hard things of us? Why is it against our nature?

You say, Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to me, do not demand it back??? But do to others what I want them to do to me??? Why, I would never have taken what belonged to them in the first place Dude. Now you are tellin me I have to love him? do good to him? pray for him? What¹s up with you man???

If we study further the answers are given: If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Even "sinners" love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even "sinners" do that. 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.

But, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your rewards will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. So, now you say, ok. I got it. If I do all these things my reward in Heaven will be great, ok. That's cool. But, what about now. I hurt from this experience now. How do I overcome that? That is real actual pain. In heaven it's in the future, and how far away might that be??? I know everything will be ok when I get to Heaven...But, I really need some satisfaction here and now... I don¹t know how to just forget it. Just throw it away. Let it go....Man. That hurts too.

Well, "Do not Judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

And here it is stated very simply and to the point. "Have faith in God..Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea', and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Remember, God had one earthly born son. One...only one. He allowed his son to give up his only one life for you. By death by hanging on a wooden cross. A Horrible death. His perfect life for your imperfect life. His life that was truly worthy of all living, given up at a young early age for your pitiful unworthy, filled with sin life. God forgave you by him. Can you forgive others like he forgave you?

It isn¹t so much to ask of us really....now is it?

If you have not experienced his forgiveness and want to, call 512-446-0306 NOW!.