Matthew 5:44

So, I recently found out that my little brother, who is 13, was being bullied on his bus last year by a girl I know and who I go to church with sometimes. She called him bad names even when he didn't do anything. This really upset me because I thought, "Well, she doesn't even know my brother. Why does she think she can bully him when she doesn't know his situation?" This is all true and she shouldn't have been bullying him. But when I really got to thinking, it occurred to me that I don't know her situation either. I later found out that she isn't a believer and I took a while to really meditate on how I should respond to a situation like this. If she doesn't know the love of Christ, how can I expect her to respond with it? This is something I struggle with so much. I have been made fun of in school a lot as a kid and I have always thought, "Well, they don't know me or my situation," and I kind of just felt sorry for myself; but really, I should be thinking about what causes that hatred and bitterness in their hearts? If they aren't believers in God then we can't expect them to respond as such. I really struggle with this and it's a very hard concept for me to grasp. God says in Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." I really believe that this is a huge struggle for every Christian. How could we possibly love someone who hates us so much? But then I think about how when Jesus walked the Earth, people hated Him so much yet He still loved those who persecuted Him. This is something I am trying to improve in my life. Next time someone makes fun of me or wrongs me, I will think about how I should show the love of Christ to them anyways and pray for God to put someone in their lives to lead them to Christ. So now that it's been said, how will you treat your enemies?