Squad GoalsExemplo

In ancient Jewish culture, people were taught that it was their duty to hate their enemies. It wasn’t just accepted—it was expected. Think of it like a University of Michigan student being told that part of their enrollment includes rooting against Ohio State at all times. It was what you did. It was acceptable hatred.

But then Jesus comes on the scene and flips the script. He doesn’t just tell people to stop hating their enemies—He tells them to love them. And not only to love them but to pray for them.

Think about that for a moment. Who’s on your prayer list right now? Most of us fill that list with people we care about—family, friends, loved ones. But Jesus says we should add the people who are against us to that list. Why? Because Jesus knew something we often forget: it’s easy to be kind to your kind.

You don’t need Christ’s love to love the people who already love you back. You don’t need divine help to care for people who see the world the same way you do. But it takes a whole different kind of love to extend kindness to someone who doesn’t look like, act like, believe like, vote like, or talk like you.

Here’s the fifth squad goal you should have for yourself and your friends: Love people who don’t look like, act like, believe like, vote like, or talk like you.

One of the greatest things you can do for the world—and for your soul—is to invite someone to coffee who you don’t understand. Sit with them. Ask them questions. And just listen. You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to debate. You don’t have to change their mind or even change your own. You can be right later. For now, just listen.

The truth is, your squad should include people who challenge your perspective. If everyone in your life sees the world exactly the way you do, you’re missing out on a depth of understanding that only comes when you let other voices into your life.

So let me ask you: Who in your squad doesn’t look like you? Who’s someone you may have viewed as an enemy before that you need to start praying for? Who’s someone who stands in the opposite corner of the room on any important issue in your life?

What type of person might you become if you were the first to leave your corner and move toward someone who doesn’t want to move toward you?

Jesus didn’t just tell us to love our enemies because it sounds nice. He told us to do it because it changes the way we see the world. It softens our hearts, broadens our perspective, and makes us look more like Him.

So, here’s the challenge: Pray for someone you struggle to understand. Love someone who stands on the other side of the line. Invite someone into your life who sees things differently. Because when you do, you won’t just change their life—you’ll change yours too.