We Are to Love Our Enemies
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Matthew 5:44
Is there someone that has caused hurt and pain in your life? How do feel about this person; angry and vengeful? Would you classify this person as your enemy? When people are mean to us and hurt us, why does God want us to love them, those who are walking with Satan, who steal, kill, and destroy? We are to hate sin and we certainly hate what some people do, but how can we love our enemy?
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. (Matthew 24:12) There is no room in the heart of a Christian for hate. If we entertain hate, even for our enemies, it can weaken and destroy the love God has put into our hearts. We don’t have to like our enemies and we certainly don’t like what they do, but we reflect God’s love to them, often by prayer. We pray that God will change their hearts and they come to know the truth and leave the lying sinful ways of Satan. I have read that some terrorists are having dreams about Christ and moving to the Christian faith. This is the result of prayer.
How do we keep love growing in our heart and keep hate for our enemies out of our heart? When we minister to others it draws us closer to the Lord, because we need his divine guidance. As God’s love grows in our heart we begin to see how Satan captures people with his lies, and hate begins to move away from our enemy and more toward Satan. We start to see people as God sees people, and we see our enemies as souls lost for eternity.
Reflecting God’s love to our enemy changes us. It will increase the love in our heart and bring us closer to the Lord. Loving our enemies makes it easier to love people that are not our enemy. It also helps us to minister to others regardless of their background or their understanding of God.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7) It’s God’s love in our heart that enables us to see people as he sees people and to love our enemies. I personally thought I could never love my enemies, but after fourteen years working with men in addiction and men in prison, I find myself praying for those I used to consider as my enemies. The real enemy is Satan.
Today pray for anyone that you consider your enemy, and let it open your heart to show God’s love to everyone. Let God’s love grow in you by reflecting it to others, especially those in your family. The more we give the more we receive.
Prayer: Lord, help me to love my enemies and pray for them. Let your love grow in my heart, because your love is unconditional. Help me to endure to the end, so the love in my heart will never grow cold and I can come home to be with you. Guide me in the Spirit to reflect your love to others. In Jesus name, Amen