Jesus calls us to love our enemies. What do you think this means? Who do you view as your enemies? In what practical ways can you love them?

The characteristics of love are clearly described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. It is impossible to fulfill these characteristics without God’s power with people one doesn’t consider their enemy let alone someone they do. However, it should be noted that believers are reminded in the book of Ephesians that we do not wage war against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil. Our true enemy is the cosmic powers over the present darkness. In that sense, we can love others even when they have hurt or harmed us knowing that our true battle is not with them.

Undoubtedly a very difficult thing to do. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, I would think it impossible. To do so can take various forms. Certainly it would be to seek their good rather than bad or evil. Sometimes it may mean avoidance so as not to precipitate a hostile situation. If you must be with them, do more than just the absolute minimum required of you. And pray for them – very hard to do. Pray that God will bless them and prosper them. With time the negative emotion will subside and you can pray this more easily. Unfortunately enemies are easily found and all around; an employer or employee acting unfairly toward you, an unscrupulous business that has taken advantage of you, a family member that knows how to “push all your buttons.”

As it says in other Scriptures, we are all enemies of God until we repent and ask God for forgiveness and establish a relationship with Him. So as an extension of who we become as children of God, we need to represent Him and show His great love and forgiveness we have received by loving even those that are are enemies.

Loving one’s enemies is a challenge but also a way to honor God for what he has done for us. It is easy to love those that we like, but true and unadulterated love can best be shown to those who are difficult to love. If we want to try and fathom the depth and intensity of God’s love for us, we must practice loving those who are hurt, broken, unlikable, or difficult. Practical ways to love those that we see as enemies includes: praying for them, small acts of kindness, not speaking ill of them or judging them silently, encouraging them.

Our enemies are to be loved because we are all enemies of God without Christ. Therefore, as we show our love for God as He first showed love to us after the fall, with the various covenants made and of course Christ himself showing the perfect example of Love, we show our love to the father by loving others, even those in disagreement or living in sin. Coming into dialogue with others over judging them, even if we leave the discussion agreeing to disagree

Since I am not physically being persecuted for my faith I consider my enemies to be those who consider Jesus as irrelevant to their life. This is both in circles of people I know and those I don’t know. It is mostly people in my family who live their life however they want without any thought to how they are impacting others. I try, but sometimes fail, to love them by being kind and hearing what they are concerned about. At the same time I try to listen to the Holy Spirit in case there is something He wants me to say or do. And as for the people I don’t know that is harder. When I see so much violence in our world then I pray for those who are so full of hatred; I pray they would know Jesus and his love for them, for someone to be in their life that will reflect God to them, and for the Holy Spirit to get past their defenses and shine his light in their darkness.