Do you love your enemies? Do you pray for those that have caused you difficulties? I remember the first time someone asked me if I prayed for the people in my life that were causing me terrible pain. Honestly, in that moment I remember thinking that the thought had never occurred to me before. My first fleshly response to the question was “Sure I pray for them! I pray that they would receive justice and that God’s wrath would fall on them!” The ugliness of my heart was brought right to the surface with the thoughts that streamed into my mind. Don’t we so easily get caught up in being “finished” with people that have done us wrong and hoping that they get “what is coming to them” for the injustices that they have done to us?

Luke 6:27-28 But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. ²⁸ Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Many years ago I trusted God’s justice and wrath would be worse than any vengeance I could come up with and I found peace leaving things in God’s hands! Now I know this isn’t what God has in mind at all. God wants us to love every single person as his unique creation just as he loves each of us. That is a tall order sometimes, but I believe it is what we are truly called to. Let me just say up front I don’t condone enabling wrong behavior, enabling is not love. Truly loving someone means that you want them to be all that God created them for, even if they are nowhere near walking in that light right now. Some days, I feel like I have a long way to go in this; the hurt and betrayal run to deep, painful places sometimes, but I don’t think that it changes the fact that we are to pray for and see our worst enemies as God’s children. If the only thing you can do is pray, then pray. Prayer is SO powerful. Pray for the transformation that you would like to see in that person. Imagine the most spiteful, terrible person you can think of having an encounter with Jesus that changes their entire life and purpose. God is a God of miracles and THAT is something worth praying into.

Let me remind you that Jesus DIED for us when we were still sinners. Can you imagine LAYING YOUR LIFE DOWN for your ENEMY? Jesus layed his life down for people who MOCKED and DENIED him. Pause there for a moment. Can you imagine CHOOSING to DIE for the salvation of the most damaging person you can think of? That is the love that God calls us to. It is a lot to ask and we can only accomplish this with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:6-11 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ BUT GOD SHOWED HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US BY SENDING CHRIST TO DIE FOR US WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS. ⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰ For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

We are called to love like Christ. It may seem impossible, but it is what we are called to. I challenge you to see your enemies as Christ sees each of us, as uniquely created individuals born for God’s purposes. It makes it a little easier to see others in God’s light instead of our own lens. I challenge you to love like God loved each of us BEFORE we acknowledged him and while we are sinners. It is easy to love those that treat us well, I implore you to love the undeserving. Maybe the only physical action you take is intentionally praying for them, but I can guarantee that this will also effectually transform your own heart. Don’t give vengeance a stronghold in your heart, replace it with the love of Jesus.

John 13:14-35 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.