06/15/2026
According to Jesus in Matthew 22, the two greatest commandments are to first love God and second, to love your neighbor.
Loving your neighbor can be hard at times, especially when your neighbor is not easy to love—and even harder if your neighbor attacks you.
When people’s careers or finances are struggling, or they are facing challenges in even more important areas of their lives, like their marriage or family, they may look to attack others—sometimes out of fear, self-preservation, or sheer desperation.
Jesus consistently saw beyond people’s behavior to their hearts.
When people attacked Him, He didn’t excuse sin. He didn’t surrender truth. But He did respond with compassion and authority.
On the cross, in the middle of an unjust attack, He said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That’s not weakness—that’s ultimate strength and clarity. In those moments when loving your neighbor is challenging or seems all but impossible, here’s what it looks like:
*See the pain behind the behavior: Instead of reacting to the attack, ask: What might be driving this? Fear? Pressure? Scarcity?
*Refuse to mirror the negativity: You don’t have to absorb it—but you also don’t have to return it. You can be firm and gracious.
*Set boundaries with love: Loving someone doesn’t mean allowing dysfunction. Jesus often walked away, stayed silent, or spoke directly when needed.
*Pray for them: Prayer shifts your heart from frustration to compassion— even if nothing else changes immediately.
*Lead from identity, not reaction: “I got this” becomes “God, You’ve got this—and I’ll respond the way You would have me respond.”
