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Blessings and Curses

             But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)

I’ve written about this verse many times, but probably not quite this way. The day before yesterday was our elections, and I’m not happy with how things turned out. I hope things don’t turn out as hard as I expect. God is still in control, and He will cause all things to work together for good. Yeah, yeah, we say the words and I suspect we think we mean them.

But, as we approach the holidays, an ad comes to mind: Christmas Strength. If you’ve skipped watching it, it’s a good one that you’ve probably seen, about an old man picking up a kettlebell. His goal is to pick up his granddaughter so she can put the topper on the Christmas tree. We are stronger if we can lift ten pounds than we are if we can only lift five. We are stronger if we can control our tongues for ten seconds instead of just five. We are stronger if we can endure the hatred of others for a minute instead of ten seconds.

The thing about our enemies is that what they intend to destroy us can and should build us into people of better and stronger character. It’s not necessarily pleasant or easy, but their curses can become blessings for us, while their blessings will likely be curses for us. 

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