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Your Enemies
Man, I really wish that verse wasn’t in the bible sometimes. It’s pretty difficult to simply forgive someone, much less intercede for their well-being, isn’t it? I have several people in my life that I feel this way about, people that have hurt me or sought to put themselves above me in some way. Usually when I think about these people, I find myself thinking of ways in which I can seek revenge against them or ways in which I can turn the pain that they cause me back around onto them. I don’t normally think about how I can love that person. I certainly don’t think about praying for them and if I do, it’s usually as a complaint. Why is that? Well, I suppose it’s because I’m so self-centered and thoughts like this usually come to mind: "How dare so-and-so say that about me, John Flynn, king of the universe!?" I so easily forget that I was once an enemy of the real King(James 4:4), who, through his great love, freely granted me grace(Rom 5:8)!
Do we seek to practice that same grace towards people in our lives that hurt us? Do we intercede on the behalf of those that we call enemies? Do we pray for our persecutors? I was out eating with a friend and his dad the other day and somehow we ended up talking about a few people in our lives that were currently causing us some grief. My friend’s father looked over at us and said "you wanna know a good way to stop being angry at someone? Start to pray for them." Could it be that, in praying for our enemies, God also provides a way for us to reconcile our troubles with them?
Is there anyone in that comes to your mind when you read this? Can you pray for them, genuinely and selflessly? Remember the grace you were given(2 Cor 8:9) and be willing to love those don’t love back!
Thanks John…great, very true words. Although very challenging…I’ve had and continue to have people in my life that I need to pray for in love (not that God would get’em”)…and when I have, He has provided reconciliation and relationship that I hadn’t anticipated. Which would make you think that it would be that much easier to do for the next person…but for some reason it’s still tough, probably b/c we like to wallow in our own self-pity for a bit…as you suggested, keeping ourselves on the throne…at the center of attention. Thanks for your words, reminder, and challenge. Take care, Doug
Thanks John for the great reminder of God’s love toward us. We are called to the ministry of reconciliation and that can be tough. AT the same time an adventure of relying on God’s power working in us.
Whew. Yep. Hard one. But much needed today (ok…and every other day).
Thanks so much for sharing this, John.