How To Love Your Enemy

by Lanilane Ocbina

 

 It is easy to love the lovable people but to love those who don't really like  you is such a big challenge. How do you love your enemy? Nonetheless, Jesus commands us to love our enemies:

 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).

The Jews have incorrectly drawn inference about hating the enemy when God was very explicit about which "enemy" to hate, and that is satan. What Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5 was the enemies  around you, those who do wrong things to you, those who make your life miserable, those who hurt you on and on. Jesus said, love them. 

Jesus first greatest commandment is to Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:29). When it comes to the second greatest commandment, the neighbors include your enemies.

Why love your enemies? Because God has a higher standard for relationship. He wants to perfect your character. He commands "be pefect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.." (Matthew 5: 43-48).

Loving your enemies is not about giving them a favor but giving yourself a favor. Having a pure heart with no grudge at all will give you peace and love and hope.. A healthy heart with no stress and all.

So instead of planning out how to get yourself an avenge, pray for your enemies and try your best to forgive. It may take time but be open to this. Anyhow, Jesus wants you to do it. You may think it is impossible but always realize that, "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). That was when Jesus was talking about the rich man being like a camel going through an eye of the needle. Just how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven, it is also hard for a broken person like you to forgive a super bad person who has wronged you. But again, all things are possible with God.

God is love. And you are a child of God. You are also imprinted with love. His thumbmark is in your whole being. His DNA completes you. You are made to love not hate. Come on, you can do better than that!

For whatever it takes, don't worry about the avenge, for the sovereign God's justice is perfect. He will let the person repay in His own barometer. Keep your hands clean. You are called to love. Just leave the consequences to God who knows everything.