As I was preparing to write this article, I was thinking about the people in my life that I love. Of course, it was my husband and my children and their families. My parents and siblings with their families were on that list. All my in-laws were on the list too. Then there are my church family and all the wonderful people who have flooded through my life because of our connection with the blood of Jesus. I found myself feeling over and abundantly blessed.
Then I heard the words of Jesus in my mind from Luke 6:27…
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”.
Jesus tells us not only to love our neighbors and do good for them but also to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. My first thought was, “I have no enemies. Doesn’t everyone like me?”. But I stepped back and realized that people who don’t follow Jesus are called enemies of the cross. (Philippians 3:18) Jesus tells us that it can even be family members who don’t believe in Him. (Matthew 10:35-36)
He goes on and describes that love starting in verses 28-34,
“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount.”
We live in a world that believes the opposite of these words. The world believes that we must be “deserving” of love. I’m afraid that too often, we fall into that trap. We slam our government on social media and basically “attack” those who don’t stand in the same political box that we stand in. We throw scripture at people in a condemning and judgmental way instead of blessing people and praying for them. We tend to see everyone who doesn’t think just like us to be our enemies. Well, Jesus says to love your enemies.
You may be in a dark spot in your marriage. You may even be divorced because of some deep pain your spouse has caused. Jesus says to love your enemies.
You may have something awful in your past. Someone may have hurt you or one of your loved ones. Jesus says to love your enemies.
Jesus goes on in verses 35-38 to give a deeper explanation.
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged, and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return.”
Is it easy to love your enemies? We were never promised easy. We are people striving to follow Jesus, and Jesus forgave His enemies while hanging on the cross. (Luke 23:34) It takes courage to love your enemies. It takes compassion to love your enemies. Trust the Father. Turn it over to Him in prayer. It is a process. It won’t happen overnight. But keep praying about it.
We love our enemies because He first loved us.
We love our enemies because He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.
We love our enemies because Jesus did die for us.
We love our enemies because we want others to see Jesus in us!
We love others because we want God to be glorified.
We love others because God loves them!
Pray that you quit seeing them as enemies and see them as lost.
Pray for a genuine love for them.
Pray that you see them through the eyes of Jesus.
My list of people that I love in my life just blew up. Every time I walk out my door or get on social media, or whatever way I am interacting with the world, I want them to see that I love them. I want to be able to add actual names to that list as I build relationships with those that I would have once considered enemies. And even if they are an “enemy,” Jesus says to love them.
Tami Roberts
Tami Roberts is striving to be a shining light for the Lord. She and her husband, Wayne, travel around the country sharing their family seminars, including the marriage seminar, "His Shoes, Her Shoes." Tami also uses her "extra" time to speak at women's gatherings. She is the author of “But I Just Want to Be Happy: A Study From 1 Peter” and has written for several websites. She and Wayne have raised five children and are enjoying ten grandchildren plus some bonus kids. They are currently working with Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, Texas.
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I love to sing!! (Even with my old lady voice. 😉) I love people!! I love to hear their stories. I love children! I'm most comfortable with them. (Probably because I'm just an older "kid.") I love seeing people's lives "light up" when we share hope with them!
