Everyone has enemies.

We all have people that get under our skin and make us want to scream. We don't understand the way they think, and we usually don't care to try to figure it out. There just seems to be an understanding that neither of you has any interest to develop a good relationship.

On a much wider scale, America has "enemies." We consider anyone who threatens our way of life an enemy. This could be groups as outspoken as those in the Middle East who openly pronounce their hatred for our country all the way to groups and/or single persons in our own backyard who we feel go against what this country stands for. There is no question that we have enemies.....as again, everyone does.

So as Christians, and as Christians who are also Americans, the question remains: how do we respond to these "enemies" of ours? Do we treat them as the world treats them, or do we treat them as God treats us? Because those are two VERY different things, and if you don't believe that than you are certainly underestimating the grace and love that God gives each of us everyday.

I have been seeing so much on the news, on Facebook, and really on every internet site people expressing their opinions on how we should handle those who hate us. Sharing their voice on how we should treat anyone who is willing to hurt us or ruin our American way of life.

So, here is what the Bible, the God who rules over everything on this earth says: love them.

Make sure you understand what that says. It doesn't say tolerate them, leave them, or curse them. It clearly says to love them.

This week I was reading Romans 12. Even if you've already read it, go read it again, because if you're anything like me, it will hit you like a ton of bricks.

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Feed him. Give him something to drink.

Verse 14 specifically says: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."

Bless. Bless those who persecute you. Do not curse.

Bless. Feed. Help. Love.

In America, or really anywhere in the world, is this how we are told to treat those who hate us? Is this the approach we take when people ask us what our opinion of a certain group is? Because if it's not, if love and grace is not our response to these people and these situations than we are wrong.

Because most of the time we forget one thing: all those people we hate, all those people we think the lowest of, yeah, Jesus died for them too.

As Christians we read that "Jesus died for the sins of everyone." We read that and we say that, but do we truly believe that? Do we actually believe that Jesus died for the sins of a murderer, for the sins of a thief, for the sins of a group that dedicate their lives to causing misery on innocent people, or have we decided in our minds that only those of us with "small" sins were saved on that rugged cross?

The world is a scary place. It's an even scarier place if we go about it treating everyone as the world treats them. For Christians, our lives are not our own. Our pride, our judgements, our view on what's fair and not fair are not our own. They are the Lord's. We are to treat people and the events of the world as Jesus treated them. With love and grace.

Does this mean we like and tolerate all of the evil in the world? Certainly not. Verse 9 of Romans 12 even says, "Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good."

But we must remember that we were put on this earth to bring those who are lost back to God. Back to the one who saved us, so that they too might be saved from the ways of the world. How can we do this if we are focused and consumed with hatred and anger?

This is not a fun topic to read about. It was not a fun topic to write about, but with all of the events happening in our country lately from attacks from outsiders to attacks by our own people, it was a topic that I felt important to talk about. No matter how hard it might be.

Maybe it's just because we're getting older, or maybe it's because times are just harder now, but I see more than ever it is our duty as Christians, especially American Christians to show the world the love of Christ. Let God be God and handle the rest.

But let us be His hands and feet in this broken and hurting world.