ENEMY LOVE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Matthew 5:43-48 (ERV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly. If you do this, you will be children who are truly like your Father in heaven. 

It was a late night.

Rolled in a little before 1ish this morning hence the “delayed delivery” today.

I was extra late because she came up following a little Champions presentation at a church in “the middle of GOD’s country”, Roseville, Ohio and she was shaking. 

She had heard the quote that I use in my “inspiring Champions” talk about loving others regardless of “religion or culture” and she was a little vexed.

And it led to this...

“Do I need to love that alcoholic in my home?  He has become my enemy.  I believe GOD is calling me to love others in addiction but do I have to love him too?”

Wow.

She was dead serious.

She wants to be a Champion, a person who has their face to the world and offering healing to a community of challenged folks in and around her church but she wasn’t sure she could do it because she “couldn’t love him”. 

She said she had tried. 

Many times she let him back into her life only to be hurt time and time again. 

Was she to love him?  

If she didn’t was she not a CHAMPION?

This was a question for the Pastor not the presenter.

And “my oh my” was I thankful to be able to lean on the Pastor of Pastors in this case. 

So I quickly took my opinion out of the equation and called up that passage from Matthew. 

Yes. She was to love him but she didn’t need to love “what he was doing or what he had become.”  That was the fight!  That is what Champions do. 

They love the sinner but go to battle against the sin; the sickness!

I then used that little nugget from Jesus affirming that when she did love, she was truly like her FATHER in heaven; that she was emulating the best of GOD. 

I knew that was “her heart.”  

You could just tell.

With tears in her eyes I told her we would just pray and we did.

I told her we would continue to pray for him to find the place of brokenness, for her to find the courage and discernment to set boundaries without bitterness and for GOD to deliver them both. 

I mean think about it, what a powerful story could be written if he were to surrender and they were able to share the faithfulness of GOD to others; to other struggling marriages and failing relationships bound by addiction?

It would be amazing.

So here is the question of the day.

Got any “enemies” that could use some forgiveness or love today?

Swallowed any bitter pills of late that aren’t agreeing with you? 

Is it time to remember the love that GOD has for them and you? It is time to show it; to share some compassion without enabling perhaps?  

It is time to emulate the love of Jesus?

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. – MLK

Have a great weekend!

I love you all!

Be blessed!

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)