4 Ways To Love Your Enemy
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

4 Ways To Love Your Enemy

Because we all have one of "those" in our lives...

2139
4 Ways To Love Your Enemy
Buck

Lately, I've found that it's getting more and more difficult to love the "unlovable." Whether it's simply not being able to get along with someone, or absolutely despising said enemy, here are a few ways to show love to even the most difficult people in your life:

1. Pray for them.

Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."

Oftentimes, we get too caught up in the hate we feel for a certain person that we don't stop and look at them as a human being who is facing the heartbreaks and tribulations that life has to offer. We view them as a machine whose sole purpose is to make our lives hell. Pray for these people. Ask God to give you the eyes that He has, the eyes that see you as His perfect Son's image, despite all of your wrong doings against Him.

Ask God to give you the strength and patience to love this person, because we all know what it's like to try and love our enemies without His help. Impossible.

Ask God to save them, to save their soul. How much easier would it be to love those around us if we viewed them as lost souls desperately needing a savior?

Lastly, ask God to soften your enemy's heart, because you could be doing all the things to love them, yet still get treated the same as chopped liver. At the end of your life, don't you want to be able to say you fulfilled His command to "love thy neighbor as thyself" to the best of your ability?

2. Show them kindness.

Colossians 3:12, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

Now, there is a difference between doing kind things and BEING kind. Being a genuinely kind person towards one another requires you to love them and have a willingness to be selfless. Sacrifice one minute in the morning to send them an encouraging text, or sacrifice three dollars and grab a coffee for them. Even nice words can mean the world to an "enemy." Kindness really isn't all that hard, and I'd encourage you to demonstrate these small acts of kindness daily.

3. Get to know them.


Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another..."

Honestly, this can be the hardest one. Taking time out of your day to get to know someone you don't necessarily like can be a daunting thought. Once you actually sit down and get to know your enemy, you will find it will get harder and harder to hate them. When you get the opportunity to hear about where someone has come from and what they've been through, it's extremely hard NOT to relate to them.

If you can't relate to them, then simply find something you like about them and cling onto that trait or personality quirk for dear life. It will be your saving grace in being able to love them.

Even if your personalities don't necessarily click, you will walk away knowing that there is SOMETHING in them that you can find to love.

4. Forgive them.


Mark 11:25, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you."

The most amazing way love was displayed to us was Christ loving us despite our constant sinning against Him. If we are called to be Christ-like, doesn't that mean we ought to do the same? Forgive others of their transgressions against us? YES, a million times yes. We don't deserve the forgiveness offered to us, so why should we withhold forgiveness from those who are equal to us?

Often times, forgiveness is looked at as weakness, but being able to forgive is one of the most amazing signs of strength. You have the ability to let go of the hurt that a particular person has caused, intentionally or unintentionally.

Yes, it's true, I have yet to master the ability to completely and genuinely love my enemy. But I find that when I focus on going out of my way to love the "unlovable," it helps shape me into the image of God that I so desperately desire.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57210
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

36901
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958654
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

190543
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments