Proverbs 25 - Heart Posture

Often times when we are being testing by the Lord, He is testing our Heart Posture. During times of struggle, instead of looking on the outside, we are called to look within ourselves. The Lord gives us opportunities to change our heart posture, strengthen our faith, and lean on Him instead of trying to fix the situation ourselves.

A big area of reconstructing our Heart Posture is treating unkind people with kindness. I will be the first to admit that I am far from perfect, and I am not always the most kind. If you are unpleasant, I have no problem being unpleasant back. However, as a woman of God, I am called higher than that; I am called to be HOLY - which means set apart. Ultimately, I am called to be separate from this world and its way of handling unkind people.

God's greatest commandment is to LOVE. He did not put any exceptions for rude or unpleasant people; He just calls us to love - everyone.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 breaks down exactly what real, godly love is and how we should love in action.

Proverbs 25:21-22 is the definition of shifting our Heart Posture - surrendering our hardness toward our enemies and choosing to love them just as the Lord has commanded us to.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."

Proverbs 25 : 21 - 22

When we think of being kind to our enemy, we usually just think about being polite. But the Lord says that if your enemy is in need, meet that need. Go above and beyond for your foe. Love them, minister to them, feed and water them, clean them, help them - the list goes on.

Verse 22 explains that by doing this, it will be like burning coals on their head. This sounds harsh but it is just like the saying "kill them with kindness." That is exactly what the Lord is calling us to do as Christians. However, He is calling us to change our Heart Posture while doing so. From "I have to love my enemy because that is what I am supposed to do" to "I am going to love my enemy because Jesus loves me and I will never deserve it."

When Jesus loved us, and we accepted His love, we chose to be different because we wanted to be a light and a love just like He is.

Showing kindness and love to someone who we do not get along with is biblical: Proverbs 25:21-22. But, it is also rewarding. When you show God's love and kindness to an enemy, they are often forced to see their shortcomings and are given an opportunity to change as well. And as Christians, we are called to love people as Christ did: unconditionally.

God calls us to love our enemies, not always for their sake but for our own.

HEART POSTURE

The Lord often leads us to do something we do not necessarily want to do in order to test our heart posture.

He is strengthening our character while we show someone the love and selflessness that Jesus Christ unwaveringly shows us daily - even hourly.

Happy Monday, Friends! I hope you have a blessed week ahead and a beautiful rest of your day!

XOXO,

Paislye Grace