Straight Talk…Love Your Enemies, Rodna Epley
Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus said… “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…
From what I’ve seen most Christians don’t know how to “love their enemies” or “turn the other cheek” nor do we even try to obey that command directly from Jesus. I’m still learning and trying. At first I had to discover what “loving my enemies meant” and then I had to be willing to apply the concept in real life situations. It’s very difficult at first because it feels like injustice and more suffering piling upon ourselves. But eventually it becomes easier the more we do it. And we learn it feels more like honoring God and giving that person (enemy) a chance to be saved. Loving our enemies causes us to see more from God’s perspective. It removes “us” as a barrier to God’s deliverance of that person: and even of us. It doesn’t cause an “enemy” to have more control (maybe for the moment). It causes them to feel unworthy (later) of such grace and kindness that they become sorrowful and repent.
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