Dealing with Enemies

How do you deal with your enemies? If you are like most people, you probably treat them like they are your enemies. You give them the cold shoulder when you see them. You carry around anger and resentment for what they did or said. You think about bad things coming on them. Perhaps you even seek revenge. The problem with this approach is that its not God's way. We all have someone who has come into our lives and hurt us in some way. Whether it was someone close to us or a new aquintance, it still hurt. The question is how to deal with the hurt and the individual. Matthew 5:44 says, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Wow, what a concept. This is certainly not how the world deals with its enemies and more than likely the same goes for you. We have been taught by tv, books, magazines, and unfortunatly our own families, that the way to deal with enemies is to be an enemy in return. Jesus teaches something all together different. He teaches that we are to love them. How does one come to be able to do this? The answer comes in the second part of that verse. Jesus says, "pray for those who perecute you." When we as Christians pray, we begin to take on the mindset and heart of the Father (when done right). We are not to pray for them to be hurt or destroyed. We are to pray for their salvation and forgiveness. We are to forgive them and release them from the offense they have committed. We pray for them to be soft to the Word of God and His love. When we pray this way, we will find that we are not hurt any longer. Instead, we are concerned for them and their future.
Another way to deal with our enemies is found in Romans 12:20. We are taught in this verse to do something nice for those who are our enemies. We are told to feed them when they are hungry and give drink if they are thirsty. By doing this, the Bible says that we will overcome evil with good. You see, revenge belongs to God and not you. Those who have hurt you have a soul that God cares for. Do not be a stumbling block to their salvation. Let them see God and His love through you and your actions. It may lead them to accepting Christ as their Savior, and if they are already in the church, to seek forgiveness. Spend today loving your enemies. God bless