Day 2 · Loving Difficult People
Bless, Do Not Curse
“Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.”Romans 12:14
Reflection
Our instinct toward those who hurt us is to speak against them — to curse, criticize, and tear down, at least in our hearts and to others. Paul calls us higher: bless, and do not curse. To bless is to wish and speak good over someone. This does not excuse their wrong; it frees us from being shaped by bitterness, and entrusts them to God.
A prayer
Father, my instinct toward those who have hurt me is to speak against them, to nurse the grievance and tear them down. Help me instead to bless and not curse. Guard my words and my inner monologue. Where bitterness has taken root, pull it up. Free me to wish genuine good over even those who have wronged me, trusting You with the rest. Amen.
Carry this with you
How do you speak — out loud or inwardly — about the difficult person, and what would blessing them instead look like?