Team #5—Loving Investment

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, and do good. … Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:35–38

The economics of God’s relational strategy seem strange at first glance. In many of our dealings with people, we try to live by the principle of getting more for less; that is, we want to put as little into a relationship as we can, hoping to receive a strong return. We do this because we don’t want to risk much of our emotional capital. We reason that the less we have invested, the less we will lose if something negative happens. This is especially true of relationships with people who seem to want to do us harm—with our enemies and with our neighbors, who can be just as irritating. But Jesus has a different idea. He wants us to know the joy of living on the edge. He wants us to be thrilled as he provides “just-in-time” resources that keep us from running dry. So, he tells us how to experience all this: love our enemies. He will “make all grace abound to us, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, we may have an abundance for every good deed.” Beyond that, we may even transform our enemies into friends who will pour God’s abundant grace back into our lives.

Generous Lord, you loved me and did good to me even when I was your enemy. Increase my desire to imitate you as I deal with mine. Amen.