Love Your Enemies...

[Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

Love Your Enemies...

 

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48 - “⁴³ You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” ⁴⁴ But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵ Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ⁴⁶ If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. ⁴⁷ If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about that? Don’t even unbelievers do that? ⁴⁸ But you must always act like your Father in heaven” (www.biblegateway.com).

 

We must love our enemies and do good to the ones who do us evil!! God said vengeance belongs to Him and He will repay!! We should not try to repay anyone for what they have done to us; do not render evil for evil but render good for evil!! If your enemies are hungry, feed them and if they are thirsty, give them something to drink!!

Don't allow people to change who you are so you begin to act like them!!! Keep the loving and compassionate heart God has given you and don't allow the devil to whisper things in your ear about how someone has hurt you and tell you to tell them off and get even, etc. He is the author and father of lies and he love to start and keep confusion so don't give him any place in your life!!

God loves the one who hurt you just as He loves you and He will deal with them in His way when He wants to!!! The person may never come back and ask for forgiveness because if they do not know or think they have wronged you, they will never ask for forgiveness!!! But you forgive them anyway!! Sometime God will tell you to go to them and apologize when they are the ones who have hurt you; that has happened to me before.

Yes the Bible tells us to go to brother if he/she are angry with us and make peace with them and then come back and present our gift at the alter but ask God what is the best time to do this; especially if you are dealing with an unreasonable person!! God will let you know when is the right time to approach the person; if at all.

The Bible also tells us to follow peace with all men if it is possible; sometime it is not possible because the other person is unreasonable! But we must do what is right in the sight of God and leave the other person to God!!

If you do go to apologize and they do not accept it, forgive them and move on!! God sits high and He looks low and He sees everything that people do to us; they will not get away with it!! The Bible lets us know not to fret ourselves because of evil doers; not that you want anything bad to happen to them but God is a God of justice and we reap what we sow!! You sow evil you will reap evil but if you sow good you reap good!!! Contrary to what it may seem like at the time! Sometimes when we sow good it will seem like we are getting evil in return; because the person we sow good to has evil in their hearts and they want to use us!! But all is well because God said He would take what the devil meant for evil and turn it around for our good! He also said all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called for His purpose!!!

So we should not become downhearted or lose hope when we do good to someone from our heart and they take advantage of us or mistreat us; God sees what we have done - He sees our heart - we can't expect anything from that person we helped because God will repay us!!!! We must keep our faith in God!!! We must keep our eyes on Him!!! We should not do things for people to get recognition from them; we have our reward if we do!!!

In our wisdom we would think God want us to help everybody but that is not always the case; sometime God want that person to lean and depend on Him but we butt in and help them when God did not tell us to!! Therefore, we must learn to ask God before we help someone; especially when finances are involved.

We need to acknowledge God in ALL our ways and allow Him to direct our path; then we will not get hurt for doing for people who use and abuse us!! If we ask God first, He will reveal the heart of that person and let us know if we are being played!! This goes for helping family members, friends, church members, whoever!! If we do this, we will save ourselves a whole lot of pain and suffering!!!

Father I forgive and release everyone to you who have hurt me in any way from birth until now and I ask you to bless them and save the ones who need saving. Forgive them Father for hurting me in whatever way they have caused me harm (emotionally, physically, psychologically, financially, etc.)!!! And heal me in every area of my life where I have been damaged by them and remove all scars and pain from my heart and body, in the Name of Jesus; the Name that is above every other name and above everything, Amen!!!

I pray the same prayer for each of you; all who have been used and abused by people - whether intentionally or unintentionally - the pain is still sever!! I pray that God will give you peace in the midst of confusion and that He gives you all strength to go through whatever storm you are going through and prepare you for your next storm!!! Storms come in each of our lives and as long as we are in this world, they will come!! But be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world and greater is He who is in us than he that is in this world!! Don't run away from God doing the storm but run to Him!! Jesus is our shelter in the storm!! He will keep us safe in His arms!!! I command peace to be still in your lives!! Allow God to rule your heart and mind with the peace Jesus has left for you!! I ask the Father these things for you in the Name of Jesus, Amen!! Amen!!! It is finished!!!

Shalom!!!

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

 

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