Loving Your Enemies

This is a BIG one.  Everyone knows to love their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.  That's a given.  The big problem is when it comes to loving your enemy.  Loving the ones who hate you, wish you ill tidings, start rumors about you, make fun of you behind your back and in front of your face, insult your clothes, etc.  It makes no sense in this modern world to love someone who treats you so badly.  We've been told to hate them back and retaliate by the world.  Jesus tells us otherwise.

Jesus tells us in Matthew (5:43-48) that we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  Whew.  What a task.  But guess what?  Jesus is no hypocrite.  The Bible says that while we were sinners, we were God's enemies.  He loved His enemies.  He loved them SO MUCH that He sent His son to die for them.  And Jesus did it without hesitation.  He prayed for His enemies' souls while hanging on the very cross they had nailed Him to.  Could you die for the ones who hate you and persecute you?  and pray for them while they do so?

School's about to start and I just learned that one of my old best friends is going to be in the same program as me this year.  I'm dreading every second of it.  While we were friends, she abused our friendship, used me, and did all sorts of awful stuff.  That was 5 years ago and from what I've heard from another friend of mine who went to school with her last year, she hasn't changed much.

Also in my program is a girl who used to be my worst enemy.  5 years ago to be exact.  We hated each other.  We both had the eye-for-an-eye philosophy when it came to each other.  We both got hurt.  Badly.  Now, it's like it never happened.  We never talk about the past.  We aren't best best friends but we talk every now and then.  I'm loving my used-to-be enemy (then again, now she's not a threat to me).

This kind of goes along with my whole "I only care what someone thinks about me if it's one of my friends" lifestyle.  I'm going to need a lot of help from God and my friends to learn to love my ex-friend.  It's going to take a lot of patience and love.  I've never been quite good at forgiving and forgetting.  I'm about to get a crash course in it.  Keep me in your prayers.

So yeah, you're going to have lots of chances in your life to love an enemy.  There are going to be times when you need to.  Prepare yourself for when that time comes and know ahead of time that it's not going to be easy.  I don't think it ever will be.

I love you guys :D

<3 Warrior