Enemies? You've gotta love 'em!

Love Your Enemies!

My dear friends and fellow Journey-launched believers, I've been blessed by each of you who have written the Word and your meditations. This is so great!
It's my turn to write on this most against-the-grain command. I got to thinking, do I even have enemies? Yes, there are enemies of my soul: the spirit of fear, pride, doubt... But when the Lord Jesus told you and I to love our enemies, wasn't He talking about people? The dictionary describes an enemy this way: "one who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another; a foe." I don't know about you, but I've never been at war nor have I experienced torture or persecution. As I began to think about what this command could mean to me, I suddenly found myself relating in a much deeper way than I would have imagined. Perhaps our enemies don't parade with machine guns, but there may be those whose actions demonstrate an underlying ill will toward us. Perhaps they aggravate, ignore, and openly disdain us, undermine our opinions, refuse to offer common courtesy. In short, they inflict a degree of suffering, being antagonistic, personal adversary. Some of the hardest to take are those who call themselves our friends, even offer a profession of similar beliefs, but who dissemble with their lips our reputation.
In the ancient land of Isreal a man after God's own heart endured riducule, rejection, and scorn. He, even as a king, was hunted by the nation's enemies, his own servants, relatives and even his immediate family. And yet He found a peace from His enemies. If enemies pursue, pressure, press hard in on our souls, may something like this humble plea echo in the throne room of heaven from our own hearts.

Hear my cry, O God:

attend unto my prayer.

From the ends of the earth will I cry unto Thee,

when my heart is overwhelmed:

lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For Thou hast been a shelter for me,

and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever:

I will trust in the covert of Thy wings.

Psalm 61

Several thousand years after those words were penned, an explosion of military combat errupted and spilled once again onto the streets of a small town. Pent up emotions now surged into the air in rapid fire. A young woman and her 9 year old daughter screamed in terror as they fantically ran to find shelter. But before they could escape, explosions from some of their own forces blew close by. Shrapnal followed by bullets penetrated the young women who had instinctively sheltered her child. For what seemed like an eternity the fighting continued. When it finally died down at dust, the little girl felt as though hope for her Mom's life was over. Hot tears burned her cheeks. Hungry, thirsty, frightened of life, she curled up to her only security, the near lifeless body of her mother.
Then out of the darkness, tall figures approached. Fear gripped her heart. Should she run? How could she leave her mother. But it only took one look into the caring faces of those in front of herto know that they weren't about to hurt her. In fact they gently gathered her Mom and laid her on a stretcher. Before she knew it, an ambulance was wisking her away from the horrible streets of hate and death. In a hospital a diligent crew of medical staff immediately went to work to save the young mother's life while a nurse bought the little girl some of the best food she had ever tasted. That was only the beginning of what would be 3 months of compassion and care extended to the destitute little girl and her Mom. Who were these strangers and why have they been so nice? The little girl wondered as she sat near her peacefully resting Mom. They didn't look like her. They didn't speak her language. It was her people that had opened fired on these people's military personnel. But instead of treating her as an enemy, they had saved the life of the most precious person in the world to her. In amazement she watched the hospital staff administer treatment until her mom was well without ever asking for money. That little girl, now a career woman herself, has never forgotten, how as a dirty child of the enemy, she experienced lovingkindness without reserve. As a result, she gave her life to the One who initiated such love. With passionate dedication, she works to pass on the Jesus' life giving principle because as an enemy she was loved.

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;

(and here comes a promise)

That they 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?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:44-48

The following points of obedience that have put this command into my heart and life:

Meet a need:

Don't you love it how God works circumstances in and around your life that directly relate to what He teaches? It happened to me this week. Someone who just hasn't had a liking for me ever since I can remember suffered a tragic loss. Friends, it is in times of need that the people in our lives who are to whatever degree enemies are open to our sincerity and good will for them. In the case of the person who I am writing about, I found a common ground, a chance to demonstrate care and I watched her get the feeling Proverbs 25:21,22 talks about.

Willing to communicate:

This has been a tough one for me. My own mind says, "If she won't talk to me, I won't talk to her." "If he won't talk nice, I won't either." With our little tongues, so very connected to our hearts, we can do a world of good or bad in split seconds. And wouldn't you know it, but even our silence will speak for us. Daily I'm confronted with desire to love only those who love me.

But as always Jesus is calling me and you too, to so much more.

I'll close with a quick story. At my work I encountered someone who didn't like me, not even enough to say hello. I found out later that I looked a lot like several girls she'd known previously and had not had appreciated. Determined, she would look the other way, refuse to say hello, and ignore me. I had begun to think something must be very wrong with me. But I made up my mind it wouldn't be unfriendliness. So I went out of my way to be nice, the way I would be to someone I liked. Do you know that the steady love paid off! She began to perk up, say hi too, and by the time my birthday rolled around you should have seen the amazing spread she put on!
Although we don't live even in the same country any more, to this day she remains a good friend.

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute,

willing to communicate;

(and here comes a promise)

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I Timothy 6:18,19

A phrase repeats itself over to me often these days. "With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful. Janny, treat them better than they deserve." And in responding to grace, my heart says, "Yes Lord."

You see, when I was an enemy against the Lord, He loved me.