When it comes to our enemies, it is hard to consider what we should do as Christians. To love our enemies is such an unworldly thing to do, it is so out of this world to love your enemies ! Nobody does that in real life, surely ? The most one can do is to keep silence about their enemies, be mum about it and no one supposed to know who our enemies are. Its a dirty secret of our soul. Buried alive in our hearts, hoping that the emotions will not burst out one day at an untimely point. Just hoping.
We know the Bible Teaching on to love our enemies, if we do not love the people we can see, how can we love the God that we cannot see ? Ok, people here refers to brothers, is it not strange that frequently, the people who hurt us the most and likely candidates as our enemies are also our "brothers" and "sisters", the ones who are close to us !
Here is a short note I have taken on a sermon preached by Pastor Renny Khoo on 1 February 2015 to BCCM KK(English) 7:30 am morning service on the topic of "Reclaiming Love" and the sermon title was "Loving Your Enemy".
We know the power of our thought life. If we feed on the thoughts of dislike or avoidance, it will grow. Jesus asked us to love our enemies, not to change them. Radical love demonstrated love towards our enemies. Love must be articulated. We need to do unto others what God has done to us and not do unto others what we want others do unto us.
How do we begin to love our enemies ?
Do good instead of do evil
Do not retaliate in deed back to the one who did evil or harm to you. If it is possible, as much as possible, live peaceable with all. Often we have the irge to let out of our system. How can ? How can this be possible ? The verse has implied that very often it is impossible to live at peace with everyone.
Bless instead of curse
Do not retaliate in word. Bless means "good words" in Greek. Be careful not to fume the situations with angry words. As they said, our IQ is zero when we are angry until we lose it !
Pray to God instead of talk to man
Do not retaliate in spirit. The effect of prayer is not our responsibility. We are asked to bring our petition and cry to our God, the results and effect of our prayer is in His hands. He alone to decide.
My reflection on this :-
We know what we are supposed to do and it is a tall order from the Lord as we are the salts and lights of this world, we are to be different. But to put our feelings down and make our emotions to obey to this teaching from the Lord is hard work. But it is the only healthy choice for our life.
No comments:
Post a Comment