Recently, because of comments made by the President of the United States at a prayer breakfast, the topic of “loving your enemies” has come to the forefront of many people’s minds. The Presidents thoughts and feelings have been accepted and applauded by some…while others have voiced their concern about the words of Jesus Christ being mocked and devalued by our countries commander and chief.
For myself, I’ve looked at President Trumps comments and done my best to try and see both sides of the spectrum. On one side I see a frustrated, hurt, and overwhelmed human-being, expressing his heart and thoughts in a very honest way. He’s upfront about not totally agreeing with the idea of “loving your enemy” and the difficulty he faces in liking those who are against him. I think if we’re being honest, every soul on the planet has probably felt the same at some point in their lives for some reason. So on some level I can relate to the President on this matter.
On the other side of the spectrum, because of what Jesus Christ said about this very topic, I know that “loving your enemies” is an act that God sees as RIGHT and is the heart He desires all people to have.
“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven. For He gives sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” –Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)
As I read this Scripture, I’m reminded of President Trump’s words at the closing of his speech at the prayer breakfast. He said, “I apologize, I’m trying to learn. It’s not easy. It’s not easy. When they impeach you for nothing, then you’re supposed to like them? It’s not easy, folks. I do my best.”
I think sometimes when a person reads “love your enemies”, they think Jesus is saying you have to LIKE them. That somehow LIKING someone is a part of showing a person love. The truth is, LIKE and LOVE don’t always have to mesh. In the Scripture above Jesus is not saying that we have to like everyone...just that we act in goodwill toward those we do not like as well as those we do. At the end of the day, Christ’s desire for us all is to be happy, and neither the hater nor hated will find happiness without love.
Another thing we can misconstrue about this Scripture is that the LOVE Jesus says we are to have towards our enemies is all about our feelings. That somehow we have to feel love for our enemies like we feel love for our family or close friends. Brothers and sisters, this is simply not true. The LOVE that Jesus speaks of in this Scripture does not always involve our feelings, but instead can be fully reliant on our WILL.
We don’t love our enemies out of feeling, we WILL ourselves to show a love that’s concerned with another’s good. With this kind of love, our concern for another’s good can overcome any feelings of offense, resentment, and retaliation we have. It motivates us to do good rather than react in kind to what caused our negative feelings toward the other. It’s not easy. It takes our minds being like that of Christ’s to love in this way, and we have to seek Him in order to do so.
Never forget that God is not concerned with our comfort, but instead our character.
This act of loving our enemies, might be one of the greatest tests a child of God faces.
Remember that we do so that we may resemble Him.
So no matter how you feel about your enemies…if you choose to love and resemble Christ…you are fulfilling God’s desire for you to love like He does.
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