Love Your Enemies
Some people would rather endure an enema than love an enemy...
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Is there any tougher commandment than the one that instructs us to love our enemies? Not tolerate them or simply do kind things for them. Love them. Those obnoxious, cruel, hateful people. The boss who treats you unfairly. The co-worker who pretends to be your friend, then back - stabs you. The unhappy customer who unfairly criticizes you to your superiors. The technical support person who is consistently rude. Or that certain someone who is simply annoying.
The first step in loving our enemies is praying for them (not for humiliation, downfall or destruction, by the way). And when we pray for our enemies, we need to pray as much for our own attitudes and behaviours as for theirs. That way, even if our prayerds don't change our enemies' ugly qualities, they will change us.
Often the first thing to pray is simply the will and grace to want to love our enemies.
In praying for these people, we may come to realize that they are no less attractive to God, or loved by God, than we are. And as we experience what hard work it is to love unlovable people, we will value God's love for us more than ever.
"Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your rewars will be great." -- Luke 6:35
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Forwarded by Arlyn Canlas
Is there any tougher commandment than the one that instructs us to love our enemies? Not tolerate them or simply do kind things for them. Love them. Those obnoxious, cruel, hateful people. The boss who treats you unfairly. The co-worker who pretends to be your friend, then back - stabs you. The unhappy customer who unfairly criticizes you to your superiors. The technical support person who is consistently rude. Or that certain someone who is simply annoying.
The first step in loving our enemies is praying for them (not for humiliation, downfall or destruction, by the way). And when we pray for our enemies, we need to pray as much for our own attitudes and behaviours as for theirs. That way, even if our prayerds don't change our enemies' ugly qualities, they will change us.
Often the first thing to pray is simply the will and grace to want to love our enemies.
In praying for these people, we may come to realize that they are no less attractive to God, or loved by God, than we are. And as we experience what hard work it is to love unlovable people, we will value God's love for us more than ever.
"Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your rewars will be great." -- Luke 6:35
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Forwarded by Arlyn Canlas
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