When You Don’t Want to Be Nice
Read The Daily:
“Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” – Luke 6:28
Let’s be honest—blessing someone who hurt you might be one of the hardest things Jesus ever asked us to do. When someone wrongs us, the last thing we want to do is be kind. We’d rather plot revenge, vent to a friend, or at the very least, keep our distance forever. But Jesus didn’t say, “Bless people if they deserve it.” He said, “Bless those who hurt you.” That’s wild.
There’s a story in the Old Testament about a young girl who got kidnapped from her home by enemy soldiers and forced to serve the family of the man who helped invade her country. And somehow, she still chose kindness. She didn’t plot payback. She didn’t stay bitter. Instead, when she heard her new “boss” was sick, she actually pointed him toward healing. That’s not weakness. That’s next-level strength.
What if the bravest thing we could do today isn’t clap back or shut down—but extend grace instead? Not because they earned it, but because we’re free to live differently. Free people do unexpected things. Forgiving, praying, and blessing someone doesn’t mean you’re fine with what happened. It just means you refuse to let their actions keep you in a prison of resentment.
So today, who’s that one person you’d rather avoid or get even with? What would it look like to pray for them instead of replaying what they did? You might not change them—but it’ll absolutely change you.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him. One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. Luke 6:6-19
Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often. Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. 1 Timothy 5;1-16