As I’m writing this, I’m dealing with all sorts of emotions.

Anger. Hurt. Betrayal. Sadness. Confusion. Worry.

In a nutshell, someone said something about me.  Not TO me, but ABOUT me to someone else.  My first reaction was anger.

Why wouldn’t you just come tell me to my face?  Why would you feel it’s okay to take the coward’s way out and say it behind my back?

My second reaction was sadness.  I feel sadness that we live in a society where people can make poor choices and then find ways to justify those choices.  I feel hurt, because I am always the one to go above and beyond for others, yet it’s clear that not everyone feels the same way as I do.

I turned to the Word for some guidance, and this verse came to mind.  Matthew 5:44 reads like this:  “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

No, I don’t want to. Nope.  Why should I?  I don’t want to pray for this turd. I want to find them and say exactly what I think.

I won’t, of course, but it feels good to think about it.

I broke down the words of Jesus in this verse.  He tells me to pray for those who “spitefully” use me.  The dictionary definition of spiteful is, “vengeful, mean, cruel, rancorous. Spiteful, revengeful, vindictive refer to a desire to inflict a wrong or injury on someone, usually in return for one received. Spiteful implies a mean or malicious desire for (often petty) revenge.”  https://www.dictionary.com › browse › spiteful

If I ever knew someone who needed prayer, it is for sure someone who gets pleasure by making others unhappy.  Jesus Himself prayed for those who persecuted Him, and was blessed by doing so.

I prayed for this person last night, and this morning, and even as I’m writing this.  That’s not to say it’s easy, because it’s not, or that I WANT to, because part of me doesn’t.

Watch me do it anyway.