Grace full mama

Do you have anyone in your life who you feel like you are just allowed to dislike? You know, that person who has hurt you more than anyone else has. Maybe they have said horrible things to you or about you that were completely unjustified or untrue. Maybe they hurt the people you love. You have that burning sensation deep in your stomach, pent up adrenaline, unhealed woundings that ache the second you think about them. Yeah, I have those too. It is so easy to feel justified in a low level of hatred. You don’t really wish something bad would happen to those people… but you certainly don’t rejoice if something good happens for them. You can’t bring yourself to smile at them if you happen to see them. You kind of wish they would just quietly drop off the face of the earth.

Here’s the rub. We are christians, my friends. The man who we are supposed to emulate laid his life down for the people who brutally beat him and nailed him to a cross. We are called to be the bigger person most of the time.

Wait.

We are called to be the bigger person exactly 100% of the time.

I have been so convicted of this lately, it is the table the Lord has been overturning in the temple of my heart. I didn’t hate my enemies. But, I felt pretty justified in not loving them either. Gently, the way only he can, Jesus has been whispering to my soul that I need to partner with him. It doesn’t matter if the rest of the world doesn’t like me… if Jesus is happy with me, then I can rejoice. I have to be on the same team as Jesus, pulling with him, seeing people and circumstances the way that he does. This means I have to confront one of the least popular parts of Jesus teachings… I need to love my enemies. Love them. Not passively wish they would fall off the face of the earth. Not avoid them at all costs. Not feel my heart and face harden every time I hear their name, and listen as my own voice takes on a cryptic, hateful tone.

I am called to love the people who have hurt me because above all I am to be one mind with Jesus, and he loves them. One way I have found to do this lately is to pray for them. Not the “Lord… make this person smarten up. Amen.” Prayer that makes me feel righteous but does nothing to change my heart towards the person. But really pray for them. Pray for their revival. Pray that the same gentleness of Jesus that has transformed my sinful heart would work beautiful connection into their heart as well. When I pray earnestly and humbly for the people who have hurt me, I can’t help but share Jesus heart towards that person. Rather than silently hoping the worst, I become invested in hoping for the kingdom of God to transform their life in powerful and beautiful ways. I want the best for them. It is forgiveness in action.

“You have heard it said ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:43-44

“But to you who are listening I say, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28

So. We are supposed to pray for our enemies. We are really supposed to love them. When we pray for them, our hearts align with Jesus and we have a stake in the game.

What does love really look like? It is such an uncomfortable word in this context!

Well… it looks like patience and kindness. It doesn’t look like jealousy, arrogance, or pride. It doesn’t demand that it gets its own way. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t hang on to offence and keep a record of wrongs. It doesn’t rejoice in injustice, but when the truth wins out. Love doesn’t give up. It doesn’t lose faith. Love endures through every circumstance. That’s a paraphrase of some of the infamous love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we are supposed to love our enemies like that. Like we are walking forgiveness. Like we are Jesus.

Try praying for your enemies today. It changes everything.