‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:14‬

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” – Romans‬ ‭12:14‬ ‭

Paul is not introducing a new command, but reminding the church of what the LORD Jesus Christ already taught. “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,” (Matthew‬ ‭5:44)‬. This command from God is not easy to obey, especially when people ridicule you, mock you, make fun of you, treat you rudely, or intentionally try to make life harder for you. To live by this word becomes even more difficult when the wounds are personal and the pain runs deep. Yet the Word of God has always called us to respond differently than the world.

Think about the Lord Jesus on the cross. As He was being mocked, beaten, and crucified, He cried out to God, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Instead of cursing those who harmed Him, He prayed blessing and forgiveness over them. Stephen followed that same example. While being stoned to death, he prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60).

Even Job, after losing everything and being wounded by the words of his friends, prayed for them and the Lord restored him (Job 42:10). Moses endured constant criticism, complaints, and rejection from the people he was called to lead. Yet he cried out to God on their behalf, saying, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:32).

All of these men prayed for those who hurt them. They blessed those who made their lives difficult. But the question is, how did they do this? What gave them the strength to respond this way? Was it simply kindness, or was it something deeper working within them?

How can we bless those who persecute us instead of cursing them? First, we must examine how we see ourselves before God. Ask yourself this question: did you receive God’s mercy because you were good, or because you were undeserving? When we fail to see that God showed us mercy while we were unworthy, it becomes difficult to extend that same mercy to others. We begin to think mercy is something we earned rather than a gift freely given. As it is written, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10), and again, “There is none that doeth good” (Romans 3:12). Even the Lord Jesus said, “There is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). When we truly understand that the grace and mercy we received came despite our sin and brokenness. Forgiveness becomes possible, blessing replaces cursing, and prayer flows instead of bitterness. We are able to bless others because we first received mercy from God.

Second, this kind of heart is formed through a deep and intimate fellowship with God. When we are grounded and rooted in His Word and abiding in His presence that we begin to truly see people the way God sees them. We come to understand His nature and His will not only toward His people, but even toward those who do not yet believe. Every people were created in the image and likeness of God. God’s heart for sinners is not that they would end in hell, but that they would repent and return to Him. As it is written, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezekiel 33:11).

God never desired that anyone should perish, but that all would be saved and be with Him. Scripture declares, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise… but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). If God desired the destruction of humanity, He would not have come down from His throne, taken the form of a servant, humbled Himself, and become obedient unto death—even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6–8). Jesus did not die for a few, but for all mankind (John 3:16).

Even the Lord Jesus endured the cross with joy in Him, “for the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). That joy came from knowing the purpose of His suffering that through the cross, we would be reconciled to God. He saw beyond the pain, beyond the nails, beyond the blood that was shed. He saw redemption, restoration, and souls being brought back to the Father. In the same way, we are called to carry that joy, even when our own crosses are heavy. Even when it feels as though we are being nailed, wounded, and broken, we look beyond the suffering.

When we begin to carry the same heart as God, cursing others no longer feels possible. Even when we are wounded, we remember that they are the same precious souls as we do as the LORD Jesus died for them too. They are not our enemies; they are precious souls who need to be won. We do not rejoice when anyone walks toward hell, joining satan in eternal suffering and pain. That is not the heart of God, and it should not be ours either. Instead, love rises within us, prayer replaces bitterness, and blessing flows from a heart shaped by God’s compassion. Just as God desires all people to be saved and to dwell with Him (1 Timothy 2:4), we too long to see every soul turn to Christ. So we bless, not curse because if God wants them with Him, then so do we.

Lastly, concerning our brethren especially the leaders within the church there are times when some may act in ways that wound us, hurt us, or deeply offend us. Even in such moments, we are not called to curse them, to speak evil of them, or to backbite. For as it is written, “If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” We must remember that both they and we who believe have been bought and redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. For as it is written, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19). We have all been purchased with a price the very life of our LORD Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul reminds the leaders in Ephesus those who oversee the flock, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

Knowing all of this, we choose to bless rather than to curse. For we are not called to a ministry of cursing, but to a ministry of blessing. As our Lord Himself has commanded us, “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Luke 6:28). Again, He teaches us, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

We understand that such individuals are not wrestling against us personally, but are acting under another influence. As it is written, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we do not overcome evil with evil, but with prayer and intercession, standing upon the Word of God. For it is written, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). We set our hearts and take our stand, not to destroy, but to win souls and trusting that God is able to reach even these also.