Articles
How To Love My Enemies
If you are anything like me, then it is difficult for you to know why you have enemies. Many of us do everything we can to be friendly, kind, giving, and likeable, but the sad truth is that sometimes our convictions and our attitudes will lead others to dislike us.
How we deal with those who refuse to be friendly with us can go a long way toward eventually changing those in opposition to what is right.
Do Good Unto Them – Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you” (Matthew 5:44). It is always said that love can allay the anger of even our fiercest enemies. With a gentle answer, or a kind word, we can turn away great wrath that would otherwise destroy us. Our Lord also tells us through the apostle Paul, in Romans 12:20, “Therefore if you enemy is hungry, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; for in doing so you shall heap coals of fire on his head.” We have a choice to make when our enemies mistreat us. Either we can respond in kind, with words of wrath and deeds of injustice – in which case we will be no better than our aggressors – or we can respond with gentleness and kindness.
Pray For Them – “Pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). Brownlow writes, “It takes much more courage to pray for your enemies that it does to knife them in the back or even to fight them openly.” When it came to praying for His enemies, Jesus practiced what He preached. He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Even Stephen prayed for his enemies as he was being stoned to death in Acts 7:60.
Rejoice Not At His Failures – “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). There is something to be said for not “rubbing it in” when we see our enemies hit start to slide. Indeed, the human thing to do would be to laugh, point, and feel some sense of vindication when we see our enemies getting their comeuppance. Perhaps instead of rejoicing, we should be willing to hold our hands and help that enemy, for one kind gesture may go a long way in being a positive influence on that person’s life.
