How Are You Treating Your Enemies?
Whenever the talk of ‘enemies’ come up among Christians our reactions differ greatly from one person to the other, but the following are some of the commonest reaction:
- ‘who me? Enemies? I don’t have any’
- ‘Every enemy of my life die by fire’
- ‘Please I will stay on my lane and avoid every enemy of my life’
The third reaction is one we often have as Christians, because somewhere at the back of our mind we remember learning that we should not repay evil for evil and the best way we can deal with people who are out to frustrate us or do us harm or who are hostile to us is just to avoid them. Politely avoid them that is.
Avoidance is the common medicine we swallow when it comes to those we think are our enemies. Its many benefits include the fact that you stay a safe distance from any harm they may have in store for you, you save yourself from more hurt by keeping away since you won’t get to hear all they say negatively about you, you keep your Christian cool since you won’t hear or see anything from them that might warrant you to retaliate hence robbing you of your Christian demeanor.
This approach is all fine and well…at least until you decide to pay attention fully to Christ’s solution for everything, one of which includes how you treat your enemies:
Luke 6: 27 ‘27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 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. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.’’
Jesus did not tell us to avoid our enemies. He has instructed us to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us. Therefore, how can you do good to them if you take the stance of avoidance?
Do you have people in your life who treat you badly? Who cause you pain? Who accuse you falsely? Who have betrayed you? Who spitefully use you? Who abuse you? Who hate you? Who oppress you? If you answered yes to any of the above then Jesus is speaking to you and He is saying: Love that person, look for ways to do good to that person, bless that person.
Let us be practicing Christians. Meaning let us do as Jesus instructs us to do in all things. No matter how hard it seems. If He has told us to do it, it is because He knows we have the capacity of doing it. His Grace is always sufficient for us; He will never ask us to do anything beyond our ability
Luke 6: 46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
In this season of good cheer and as you go into this week please have a change of heart and determine in your heart to take stock of all those you feel treat you wrong or have treated you wrong, and instead of avoiding them and keeping them far from you, rise higher by finding a way or two to do good to them.
God Bless You
