If you have to ask these questions while professing the Christian faith, then something is amiss. Let me help you out here by starting with this commandment... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘
Love your neighbor as yourself'" (
Matt. 22:37-39, emphasis mine). Next, there is
The Golden Rule of treating other people the way you want to be treated and being merciful as God is merciful. Jesus said that His followers are the light of the world and "Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (
Matt. 5:14-16).
The Apostle Paul's message in
1 Cor. 13, particularly vv. 1-7, is also important to mention: "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Do not repay evil for evil. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone and do not take revenge. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (
Romans 12:17-21).
And finally
James 3:9-12 concerning taming our tongue and not cursing other people: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."
One last thought... Why did Jesus command His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (
Matthew 5:43-48) and to do good to those who hate them (
Luke 6:27-36)?