“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44)
I can imagine the look of amazement on the faces of some of those listening to Jesus when He said “love your enemies.” These were folks who were deeply rooted in the Law of Moses which taught “an eye for an eye,” thus they must have had a hard time accepting God’s message of love. But when you’re born again, you’re born with the capacity to love even the most difficult or seemingly unlovable people! Even if someone decided to make you an enemy (and there’ll always be folks like that who may hate you for no good reason), you have the capacity to love them and forgive them because you have the love nature in you.
It doesn’t matter how nice, harmless and pleasant you are as a person, some folks may still not like you; they may hate you without a cause, as they did Jesus (John 15:25). But you don’t have to condescend to their level! Refuse to hate, or backbite. Rather, operate from a higher level and love them. Reading the verse right after the opening scripture tells us why you should love your enemies, bless those that curse you, and do good to those that hate you: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good…” (Matthew 5:45).
So when you do good to those who mistreat you, you’re proving yourself to be the matured son or daughter of God. From your end, it’s actually impossible for you to have “enemies” because you’re full of divine love. But if someone decides to become your enemy, refuse to get angry or bitter; don’t cry or feel sad. You don’t have to be concerned about who is against you. You don’t even need to pray against your so-called “enemies” or ask God to avenge you.
Refuse to be bothered about who’s plotting against you, and come up to the higher level in Christ where you love everyone in spite of their actions. Be as your heavenly Father; love everyone around you unconditionally. They may not respond to your love at first, and even hate you the more for not hitting back, but never mind; love never fails! It will always win at the end.
Confession
I’m the love-child of a love-God, therefore I refuse to hate, backbite or keep malice even with those who set themselves against me. I respond today from the standpoint of God’s love, and cover others with the umbrella of God’s divine love which is shed abroad in my heart!
Further Study
Luke 6:35
Matthew 5:43-44 WNT
(Taken by permission from Christ Embassy Church , aka Believer’s LoveWorld Ministries , Lagos, Nigeria. www.ChristEmbassy.org )
