Hate Your Enemy?

You’re familiar with the old law, “Love your friend,” and its unwritten companion, “Hate your enemy.”  I’m challenging that.  I’m telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.  When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.  This is what God does.  He gives His best – the sun to warm and the rain to nourish – to everyone, regardless, the good and bad, the nice and nasty.  If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus?  Anybody can do that.  If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal?  Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.  Live generously and graciously toward others, 

the way God lives toward you.

Matthew 5:43-48

One of my daughters teaches at the same university from which she graduated.  She was quite immature and aggressively vocal during her freshman year there, and she made her fair share of “non-admirers!”  Two people in particular have been problematic, not willing to recognize that a lot of growing up happens over a period of eight years.  They have been, quite literally, her enemies, and to add to the irony, they are now her “superiors” for her job.  She has responded by being as polite and cordial as possible, dealing respectfully when necessary, and otherwise staying out of their way. 

“Well,” you might say, “she seems to be handling the situation very well.”  Yes, I think she is, and I am very proud of her maturity in holding her tongue and realizing that we all have to deal with people who are not exactly our fans.   But this advice from Jesus gives a “secret weapon” - an added bonus for those of us who have to deal with difficult people.  “When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer...”

It is very hard to be nasty to someone if you are consistently, daily praying for them. Talking to God about an individual reminds you that they are also a child of the King.  The thought of doing so may be the greatest hurdle you have to overcome, but once you begin an active conversation with God regarding your adversary, you will find that your feelings will slowly change toward that individual.  Prayer also has the added advantage of possible changes in their life.  Obviously God cannot whack them up the side of the head and say, “Hey, get with the program!”  But He will constantly draw them, love them, and cover them with His compassion and grace.  Some of that just might flow to you from them.