How easy it is to fume about someone who’s actively against us!
I don’t know about you, but isn’t it all too easy to get riled up over criticism, or disagreement, or even persecution?
Someone has wronged us, by theft, or lies or gossip, and we toss and turn over and over what we want to do to get them back.
Sounds familiar, yes? It does to me, I was like this a lot in my younger days. Even if I never did anything to actually get back a someone, I sure thought about it.
Does it sound like Jesus?
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Matthew 5:44
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches a number of things that go far beyond the keeping of the Law in a action sense and that it goes deeper - to the intent of the heart of the believer.
We are to do good to those who are actively opposed to us
Praying for those opposed to us?
Perhaps we pray for their salvation?
Remember, the opposite of retaliation is prayer. The opposite of hate is love.
Praying is like planting a garden
Praying for our enemies is like planting a garden in rocky soil.
Conclusion
The journey from enemy to friend begins with a single prayer. When we follow Christ's example and instruction by praying for those who oppose us, we participate in His redemptive work in this broken world. Though we may never see the fruits of these prayers in this lifetime, the act itself aligns our hearts with God's and breaks the through hard hearts to humility, maybe leading to salvation. Our willingness to pray for our enemies stands as a radical testimony to the transformative power of Christ's love.
What about you?
Is there someone in your life right now who has hurt or opposed you that you've been reluctant to pray for? What might happen if you committed to praying blessing over them daily for just one week?
