The message I mostly got out of my reading today was of peace and forgiveness. The phase 'Turn the other cheek' is brought to my mind when I read all about how we are commanded to forgive an enemy who smites us. I know that for myself, it is sometimes hard to forgive someone who offends me, especially when they do it on purpose, but I am reminded here that I need to forgive, even if they don't seek for the forgiveness (v41). Luckily I only have to forgive 3 times, then I can take it to the Lord and be justified in hating them....well maybe not hating them, but I don't have to worry about it anymore (v44).
It is nice to know that while I am being forgiving and patiently bearing the persecution, I will be rewarded, and the longer I bear it, I will be rewarded more (v23-25). The saints in Missouri that this revelation is addressed to had a lot more persecution than I have ever had, and I can't even imagine what I would do in their situation. I just hope to become better at forgiving the people around me. Today's society doesn't encourage that behavior, but I want to modify the way I think about life to become more like Christ, and this is definitely one aspect I need to work on.
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