Love For Your Enemies
“Ever since that incident we don't talk anymore”
“Didn't you and so and used to be friends… nah they my enemies now”
“HATE”
“But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly” Matthew 5:44. There might be time when we read this verse, we felt at odds. Humans are complex individuals with that we can’t forget that our emotions and feelings are not immune. As much as they can be problematic such as misleading us in certain situations , they will happen and we will fill it one way or another. Some are better than others but nonetheless they are present. The point here is even when someone has done you wrong whether it be in a relationship, friendship or family, we can't let that emotions or feeling dictate the long term end goals. God wouldn't allow that.
The Bible is a book with many stories that touch upon everything and anything in lessons and parables. The words used are powerful in how we should live our life to become better. Notably, there is:
he priest will say, ‘Men of Israel, listen to me! Today you are going against your enemies in battle. Don’t lose your courage. Don’t be troubled or upset. Don’t be afraid of the enemy. The Lord your God is going with you to help you fight against your enemies. He will help you win!’ And in Leviticus 19:17-18 “Don’t secretly hate any of your neighbors. But tell them openly what they have done wrong so that you will not be just as guilty of sin as they are.Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 20:3-4
What these verses have in common is to not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil. On one side we see and can understand with our human mind that enemies are those who did us wrong. However on the flip side, we see that despite the wrong we must not hate them but rather forgive them and show them the love that they may have been missing. No one says that this process of growth is easy but this is why we pray and ask for guidance in how to maneuver around it.
Take the time to reflect and identify how to control these emotions and feelings when they take the best of us. Now everyone’s situation is different but examine within yourself to forgive and appreciate those that may have done you wrong. As we have all heard, hater are going to hate. He didn't send his only son at the cross for us to not move past a wrong doing of our neighbor. Romans 5:10 “I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life.”