Matthew 5:44, 46
But
I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you… for if
you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
This commandment from
Jesus had me thinking. For almost
everyday, we would encounter people who would make our lives miserable – a
neighbor who would spread gossips about us, drivers cutting us off in the
street, unresponsive co-workers or even bosses, service (supposed-to-be) people
who would make us wait and wait and wait… can we really love these people? Our human instinct would say “we
cannot”. The unfortunate thing about
feeling this way is that it really hurts us emotionally, and sometimes
physically, so that we can’t think clearly.
God did not create these people to be evil; they became that way on
their own or through the influence of the people and situations around them;
and this grieves God, as it would any loving parent. And Jesus showed how it can be done.
We need to grieve for them, along with God. So our prayers should also contain a prayer
for them... not a prayer to bless them, but a prayer to soften their hearts to
feel the pain and suffering that they are causing, so that they would turn from
their evil ways and be saved from the wrath to come.
The prescription to love your enemy and to
denounce evil with good is sometimes thought of as an impractical and
perfectionist ethic, able to be practiced only by a few exceptional souls. When we hold on to this perfect love, we find
that we turn over our anger to the Lord in prayer, and we are able to think
clearly. And when we think clearly, we
are able to find ways to peacefully take a stand against these forces of evil.
We need to continue to be the loving,
compassionate, and peacemaking children of God we have been called to be. We may have hated someone in our life, but
always remember to hate the actions done and not the person. We must continue to show love to that person
so that same love may change him and change us.
Loving others is taking out the enemy within.
Almighty Father, anger destroys the peace
of our own soul, but being a loving and compassionate peacemaker brings peace
to our soul. Teach us to love those who
brings injustice to our lives. Teach us
to love our enemies. Teach us to trust
in You, knowing that this is how we have been called to be.
Where true love prevails, there no enemies
are found.
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