ENEMIES

Sunday devotional, 7/8/12

Enemies is a strong word.  Perhaps you feel you have no enemies, but most of us can think of at least one person who rubs us the wrong way.  It may be someone with an annoying habit, or a person who has little tact and makes us feel uncomfortable.  Perhaps there is an individual in our lives who has spread a rumor about us that really bothers us.  Or maybe it is something not directed toward us but rather hurts someone else, and we are upset that they "get away with it".   This could be something we hear about on the news and we get worked up about "what this world is coming to".  There are even whole groups of people that may frustrate us because they don't "follow the rules" or meet our expectations, like people who run red lights or cheat on their taxes, or immigrants coming into the country illegally or not "learning the language".   Sometimes it is even more personal and someone's actions create a situation where we feel threatened or they have directly harmed us such as robbery, rape or even murder of someone dear to us.  We may even hold a resentment against someone for something they did years ago and we just can't find it in ourselves to forgive them.  These are all "enemies" in some fashion.   

What are we to do about our enemies?  First, realize that we, ourselves, are probably someone else's enemy, and we need to work on ourselves and ask for forgiveness. Then we can pray for our enemies, asking God to bless them as richly as we want blessings for ourselves and those we love the most - praying for them sincerely EVERY DAY.  Then do good toward them, helping them with all their needs instead of shunning or ignoring them or trying to repay them with evil thoughts and actions.  This gradually can help create love in our hearts for them if we allow it and eventually lead us to forgive them, just as we ourselves have been forgiven. Forgiveness does NOTHING for the person we are forgiving - instead, it releases US from the resentment and anger that eats away inside of us.  These are the things the Bible tells us to do about our enemies.

We are someone else's enemies too; we are even God's enemies:

For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Romans 5:10 NIV

Work on your own issues first:

 ^"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."  Luke 6:41-42 NIV

Pray for them:

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... ^{Matthew 5:43-44 NIV}

Bless them:

 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.  ^{1 Peter 3:9 NIV}

Love them and do good to them:

 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you."  ^{Luke 6:27-31 NIV}

Forgive them:

 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Luke 6:37-38 NIV

                 

written by Jan Andersen