Luke 6:27-38

27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

* Love your enemies – Godly love, we must seek for their good. Our response should be for their benefit not ours. Respond in love. Make a choice to love them. My emotions will follow my will. Seek for their best good regardless of whatever they do to us. Free yourself from guilt and animosity. How can I help the other person and respond to them. Love isn’t weak, it is a strong Godly love, it is a love that will take abuse without defending itself, it is a quality of love that able, ready and courageous enough to confront the other person where the confrontation with them is for their best benefit. Ask the question; why do you feel the way you feel about me, what have I done to you? LORD Jesus said; If I said anything wrong, tell me but if I not why did you hit me?

* do good to them which hate you – we are to take the initiative to do something good in their life on their behalf

* Bless them that curse you

* pray for them which despitefully use you – love them, do good to them, bless them, pray for them. You will find out true condition of your heart. Because as you pray for your enemy GOD will surface in your heart those things that are not right. Either you will need to change your attitude from anger to love and pray for them, prayer is your weapon. LORD would you position the person who is hurting me in such fashion that He will have a need for me and I will have opportunity to express genuine, Christ like love in their life. Show me their need and allow me to step into to meet that need. You will become Saviour in the other person life, with the bitterness and animosity they are absolutely destroying themselves, by stepping in you will redirect their thinking and thought patterns, actions and attitudes.

* We are not to defend ourselves

1 Peter 3:8-9

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be [b]courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

John 18:21-23

21Why do you ask me? Ask them who heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answer you the high priest so?

23Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why strike me?

Don’t defend yourself, you may have to walk off, you may have to listen to a lot of abuse, you don’t have to retaliate, don’t engage in same kind of response to the other person.