Love Your Enemy A Spiritual Challenge

While loving those who love you is easy, Jesus tells us we should love our enemy! How do we do this? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz will discuss the concept of Christian love and how it applies to our lives.

Love Your Enemy: A Spiritual Challenge~ Episode ~ 318

This is a joyous message, and yet, at the same time, it is difficult. How do you love someone who does not want the best for you? How do you love someone who wishes harm against you? Is it even possible for us to consider Christian or not? It doesn’t make sense, and it is counterculture for sure, but that’s what makes it so intriguing.

I will admit that one of the hardest lessons of all is that we are asked to love our enemy, and as Christians, we have a higher calling. While thinking about taking revenge and thinking bad thoughts about those who have hurt us is natural, it gets us nowhere. Revenge and anger make us upset and frustrated. Yet what do we do?

Should we become pushovers or pacifists? No, the Lord doesn’t call us to sit back and allow for abuse. In these cases, the best thing to do is leave or avoid the person. So again, where does this leave us? If we are to forgive our enemy but not allow that enemy to hurt us, what do we do if we’ve been hurt?

We need to seek the true meaning of this love that God advocates for, and it is simply a challenge.

First, let’s look at the extremes. When Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt, he later went to the jail of the man who tried to kill him and had a private conversation with him where he told him he was forgiven. The man, it was said, had a conversion experience. Whether or not this is true is irrelevant because the miracle is the forgiveness on the part of John Paul II.

The pope, as leader of the Church at the time, was teaching by example. This is truly from the gospel, which we must look at, consider, and ponder in our hearts. What does it take for a person to transcend the normal reaction and to forgive, especially in this way?

Love your enemies—a spiritual challenge that God allows in our lives. This is probably one of my least favorite scriptures because it is difficult to follow.

I’d challenge you to read all of Matthew 5 but the last of the Beatitudes is in Matthew 5:10 (Read on air.) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In this case, the persecution is for faith, justice, and standing up to bullies.

But then it goes on in verse 11 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Our spiritual challenge lies in the idea that when we are falsely accused or persecuted for our belief in God, it becomes another level of faith. We’ve risen from a level playing field to one in a heavenly realm, yet the outcome may not be what we hope. Even if we stand up for truth or teach about faith, it is not always rewarded.

But, I’ve learned that those who teach or preach for a reward and those whose hearts are not in the right place. Large companies will try to block our message, which is okay; that is what they think is right. But the Lord allows those who want to hear something the ability to find what they need. I can not tell you the number of times that has happened to me. So, if you are here and have listened thus far, the Lord has a message for you. Pray and seek Him. Ask.

Often, the Lord takes care of things without us even knowing or asking! Again, this is a miracle that happens from time to time in our lives. I call these faith boosters. Our faith and our lives are enriched and encouraged when these events happen.

In the past, I shared two podcasts on Forgiveness, and Asking for Forgiveness. I think a big part of loving your enemy is the ability to forgive, and that only comes by the grace of God.

In Luke 6:32-36 we read:

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Again, this may be something we have to think about, pray about, and ponder. The Lord is admonishing us here that He means what He says. We don’t want to be like sinners; we don’t want to only love those who can give us something in return; and we don’t want to only receive our reward in this life. Our reward will be great, the Lord promises. And that reward is eternal and everlasting.

Friends, the Lord says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” And, let’s all pray for that for us, for our family and all of our friends. Praise You, Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.

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