Loving Our Enemies

It's definitely not easy to be kind to someone who has gone out of their way to give us a hard time.

Hey GEM girls! Sometimes there are just those people who have gone out of their way to hurt us or make us feel bad and those who have hurt us in the past. How do we deal with these types of people?

In Luke 6:27-31, Jesus says, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

I'm sure you might have seen these verses before. A lot of times we read verses like these through and don't really fully consider what they mean. Love your enemies? Do good to those who hate you? Pray for those who spitefully use you? Let's be honest, even though we know that these are great principles to follow, it's sometimes hard to put them to practice.

This reminds me of when King Saul was angry and jealous of David. David had been anointed as Israel's next king, and King Saul was jealous, especially of all the attention David was getting. King Saul got so angry that he threatened to kill David. As a result of the tension and threats, David fled from King Saul into the wilderness. There, under the constant fear of being attacked, he lived in caves and other places in the countryside.

David had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. But yet, King Saul went out of his way to make his life miserable. Yet when David had the opportunity to get revenge, he decided not to. He chose forgiveness and compassion instead of revenge.

There may have been people who have done things to hurt you, have been a fake friend, or have hurt your feelings. And it can be really hard to be kind and loving when others may treat us this way. Romans 12:19 says, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

No matter how much we may want to get back at others for the things they've done to us, it's always better to respond in a kind and loving way. We're here to be peacemakers.

Has there been a time where you've responded in kindness to an "enemy"? What was their reaction? Let us know in the comments!

Blessings!