Enemies

Matthew 5:44-47 (KJV) Says, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:  for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

It is certain that we will have people come against us in our lives whether it be strangers, someone in the workplace, friends, those we are in a personal relationship with, spouses, or sometimes even family members. When this happens, we know immediately how we would react or respond in the flesh, but we also recognize that choosing to take a fleshly reaction or response to these situations would not fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. In the above passage of scripture Jesus himself tells us exactly how we are to react, and or respond, when people come against us.

Jesus tells us that we are to love our enemies, and that we are to bless those who curse us, and we are to do good to those who hate us. He further tells us to pray for those who use us, and persecute us. Behaving in this manner toward someone who has wronged us or hurt us  is extremely difficult to do, but to do so is pleasing to God, and healing for us in that we are not walking through life carrying hatred, bitterness, and anger.

One of the two greatest commandments given to us by God is to love one another as God loves us. Some people are easy to love such as family and friends. The true test is found in our ability to love our enemies. Jesus points out to us that it is not difficult to love those who love us, and basically that there is no reward for that. When we choose to love our enemies, forgive them, and pray for them, however,  that is when we are rewarded. First and foremost we have peace knowing we are living in obedience to God. Secondly, we are not carrying hatred, bitterness, or anger in our hearts which do nothing but create our own state of misery. Thirdly, we are witnessing to others by showing them the difference in how a Christian treats their enemies vs. how a lost person reacting or responding in the flesh treats theirs. This is a powerful personal testimony, and can lead the lost who witness it to have the desire in their hearts to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior; wanting for themselves what they have seen in you.

I am by no means encouraging you to allow people to abuse you in anyway, use you, or treat you badly; nor would God want that for you. You can forgive someone, love them, and pray for them even if you've had to end your relationship with them. I encourage you as a born again believer in Jesus Christ to love and forgive your enemies. I encourage you to pray for them, and I encourage you to do so in order to please God, bring peace of mind to yourself, and in order to be a witness for others as to what Christ-like behavior truly looks like.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!