Loving our enemies is, quite simply, crucial to being a follower of Christ. This is the gospel in action, a repetition of what Christ did at the cross, which was loving us who were His enemies. This love is not some feel good, conscience quieting deed, that is done occasionally, that we can point to so as to say we are a good person. It is not about us looking good at all. It is about Him, and us making that decision to do what He says. Real love is not an emotion at all, but a decision and an act of the will.
Anyone can be a potential enemy. Besides those who don't know you and might treat you with indifferent disdain, the "true" enemy is the one who was once close to your heart. This heart's enemy was the one who deceived you by giving you the treatment you thought you deserved from someone who was supposed to love you. Once you were emotionally committed, you were betrayed by him in favor of the one he loved the most, himself. It was always only about him anyway.
When we are badly used, hatred is our love gone wrong. It is that possessiveness that refuses to sacrifice what it desires, and refuses to let go. It can be changed back to love by making the decision to not act from anger, but to do the will of the Lord, who understands all things. It is only ourselves that we can submit to God for sanctification in our circumstance, not the enemy who has harmed us. Love is it being about Jesus, not about us.
Love is forgiving the debt that is owed by the enemy, because if we do not forgive, then we will become the very thing that we cannot forgive, that which we hate. Hatred is a contagious spiritual infection. It's spread can only be stopped by someone whose love will act as a barrier to the poison, by absorbing it's damage without passing it on. That is why Jesus told us to not return evil for evil, but to do good to those who spitefully use us.
Sometimes, though, the infection can only be exorcised by amputation........
No comments:
Post a Comment