When it Seems Jesus Asks the Impossible

Divine Inspirations | by Dee Davis

Focus Scripture

“Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”

— Luke 6:28 (NLT)

There are some passages in Scripture that feel comforting the moment we read them.

And then there are passages like this one.

The kind that stop us in our tracks.

“Bless those who curse you.”

“Pray for those who hurt you.”

Really, Lord?

What about the friend who stole thousands of dollars from you?

What about the pastor’s wife who publicly humiliated you because she believed a lie someone else started?

What about the spouse whose repeated unfaithfulness shattered your trust?

Or the person whose consistent bullying left wounds that lasted for years?

Bless them?

Pray for them?

How?

Because what they said hurt.

What they did was devastating.

How, Lord?

I don’t know if I can.

Perhaps you’ve whispered those same words.

For many of us, these aren’t hypothetical situations. They are chapters we have lived. The memories still sting. The betrayal still echoes. Some scars have faded, while others still ache when they are touched.

The answer surprised me.

Jesus never asked me to do it alone.

He asked me to do it with Him.

If we’re honest, His words feel impossible.

And perhaps that is exactly the point.

Because this kind of love is not something we manufacture.

It is something the Holy Spirit produces within us as we surrender our hearts to Christ.

Jesus never asked us to pretend the offense didn’t happen. He never said the betrayal wasn’t painful. He never commanded us to remain in abusive situations or abandon wisdom and healthy boundaries.

But He did invite us to refuse to let another person’s sin shape our own heart.

The cross teaches us what this looks like.

As Jesus hung in unimaginable agony—falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and rejected—He prayed:

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

What incredible mercy.

Jesus modeled what He was teaching.

He showed us that forgiveness is not approval.

Prayer is not denial.

Blessing someone does not mean what they did was acceptable.

It means we entrust justice to God instead of allowing bitterness to become our companion.

For many women in midlife, this may be one of the hardest invitations of faith.

By this stage of life, many of us have accumulated what I call “heart files.”

Church hurt.

Broken friendships.

Family betrayal.

Financial loss.

False accusations.

Separation

Divorce

Disappointment.

Abandonment.

Bullying.

Unanswered questions.

Life has a way of leaving its fingerprints on our hearts.

If we’re not careful, those unresolved hurts quietly become resentment, and resentment slowly hardens into bitterness.

Yet Jesus lovingly reminds us that freedom is found in releasing people into God’s hands.

Not because they deserve it.

But because we need the freedom that comes through obedience.

Perhaps today you cannot honestly say,

“Lord, I bless them.”

Maybe all you can pray is,

“Lord…help me want to obey You.”

That is a beautiful place to begin.

The Holy Spirit is patient. He works gently in places where human strength cannot.

One prayer at a time.

One surrendered memory at a time.

One healed wound at a time.

Because God’s desire is not only to deal with the people who hurt us.

His desire is also to heal the woman they hurt.

Supporting Scriptures

• Romans 12:19 (NLT) — “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.”

• Ephesians 4:31–32 (NLT) — “Get rid of all bitterness… Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

• 1 Peter 3:9 (NLT) — “Don’t repay evil for evil… Instead, pay them back with a blessing.”

  
  

Reflection

Is there a “heart file” you’ve been carrying for years that still occupies more space in your heart than it should? Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal your next step toward freedom. He is not asking you to ignore your pain—He is inviting you to entrust it to Him.

Final Encouragement

Dear sister, following Jesus will sometimes require us to do what feels impossible. But the same Savior who calls us to bless, pray, forgive, and love also gives us the grace to obey. You do not have to carry the weight of every offense for the rest of your life. Place each wound into His capable hands. As you do, He will gradually replace bitterness with peace, resentment with compassion, and heaviness with freedom. You may not be able to change what happened yesterday, but by God’s grace, it does not have to define your tomorrow. And perhaps, in the process, you will discover that God was not only changing your circumstances—He was making you more like His Son.

Stay encouraged and be blessed.