November 21
November 21
God calls us to love not just our family and friends but our enemies as well.
Perhaps of all God’s commands to us, the call to love our enemies is the most unnatural. It is natural for us to love those who love us in return, but sometimes even that is difficult. As sinful people, it is positively unnatural for us to look for ways to be kind and loving to those who have mistreated us. You can almost feel your heart harden with anger when you recall someone’s hurtful or harmful actions toward you. You play scenes over and over in your head, getting more upset with every replay. You fantasize about ways to retaliate. You certainly don’t think how you might respond to mistreatment with love.
The only thing that can turn what is unnatural for us—loving our enemies—into something more natural is a robust, street-level trust in the Lord. If you really do believe that he is perfectly holy and just; if you really do believe that he cares for his own; and if you really do believe that he will somehow defend your cause, then you can reject responding in kind and instead love as you have been called to love. Loving your enemy is a sure test of the depth and practicality of your faith in the Lord. It is also a stark reminder of how much you need God’s empowering grace to desire and to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, no matter what.
So what does it look like to love your enemy?
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:17–21)
Loving your enemy means never repaying evil with evil.
Loving your enemy means determining to live peaceably with everyone.
Loving your enemy means never responding in vengeance.
Loving your enemy means trusting the perfect justice of the Lord.
Loving your enemy means overcoming evil with good.
When it comes to loving our enemies, God calls us to believe that what he asks us to do is always good, that he is always with us and faithful in justice, and that he will meet us in our struggle to love with his empowering grace.
In this fallen world, you will face mistreatment. Will you respond with love? Will you leave vengeance to the Lord? Will you seek to overcome evil with good? Will you rest in God’s empowering and transforming grace? His grace is yours for the taking.