A new command

John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The past few days, I've felt so tired of the routine of my weekdays. I wake up, rush through my morning routine, go to school, come home, goof off for a little while, slog through my homework, start getting ready for bed at 10, spend ten minutes reading my Bible and praying at around 10:15, and then I fall into bed exhausted by 10:30. (Lather, rinse, repeat.) On days like those, my devotional time feels more like a hurried afterthought. Weekends are the only times when I can spend as much time with God as I would like to every day. But until the school year ends, I don't see a way to fix that.

What I really want is a way to honor God and do things that are of the Lord during the week, even while I'm in school. That's where John 13:34 comes in. Jesus commands us to love friends, enemies, and strangers alike; by doing this, we mark ourselves out as something more. People see that and they recognize that there's more to us, and they may realize that it is the living God who makes us more. This past week, I tried to be more gracious and loving towards the people who I came in contact with; but I'd like to make it a conscious decision- a decision to see people the way Jesus sees them and treat them the way Jesus would treat them.

Now, that was a a very easy thing for me to type; but I know it will be much harder for me to actually live it out, especially when it comes to loving my enemies.

Luke 6:27-28: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Not gonna lie- I have no idea how to live that out. And they're nice words, but if I don't find a way to live them out, that's all they'll ever be- just ink on a page. So, Lord, I'm praying that You'll show me a way to love my enemies next week. I haven't done so well in the past- I've lost my temper and hit back, and I've said harsh things about them when they're not around. I'm sorry for that, God. I know that it doesn't honor You when I respond to an attack with a comeback. Please be with me, and teach me how to respond to ill treatment with forgiveness, mercy, and love.