I don't know if this is a prayer, a complaint, a "sermon," an article, or what this is. Maybe I'm just talking...maybe just to myself. I hope this relates to you. If you have it figured out, let me know how!
The picture above has quotes and paraphrases from scripture - direct from the words of Jesus. Is he serious? I'm supposed to love my enemies? He wants me to do good to those who hate me? Jesus tells me to bless those who curse me? And to top it off, I'm supposed to pray for those who mistreat me?
Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'm a pastor. I "have it all figured out." Well, the truth is - I'm far from it. Oh, I WANT to be there - I WANT to be able to do these things. I can SOMETIMES do these things. But it's so dang hard to do it willingly.
Who are my enemies? Well, there are those who are far away - people I'll probably never meet - political enemies? Is that the correct word? ISIS (or is it ISIL? IS? you know who I mean), I write enough about Rwanda's Dictator, Paul Kagame and get harassed personally by his paid trolls...I guess he's technically a political enemy. What about different groups who may not hate me personally but hate my views? They hate Christians (not disagree, but hate - wish death upon me...or at least people like me). There are people who hate Americans (again, not disagree but hate). I suppose all of those, and some more that I can't think of right now are my "enemies."
I guess I have more enemies. That person who cut me off on the highway the other day. I didn't have pleasant thoughts about him or her (I didn't get a good view of anything but the person's bumper to know if the person was a he or she). I didn't wish death upon the person, but I had some choice words - from inside my car. Thankfully I kept the gestures to just my mind. There are some people from when I was a kid that I haven't reconciled with. I have no idea where they are now. I don't know how much was my fault and how much was theirs. I suppose it doesn't matter at this point. But, like the 2 Koreas - we are technically enemies...I guess. Maybe I'm overanalyzing.
Some people just plain don't like me. Our personalities clash. I have problems with other people. I don't know if I don't like them or not - maybe it's unfair to say that others don't like me - maybe I should just leave it as our personalities clash. There are people I'm close with and we have arguments - sometimes bitter. Does that make that person my enemy? Maybe for that time. What about the people who have hurt me and haven't apologized? Some of them don't even know. It's been years for some. Why should I hold it against them if they don't know? Did they do it on purpose? Maybe, Maybe Not. But maybe they've changed from who they were then to who they are now. We're all changing everyday.
Honestly, I didn't set out to plan how I would write this. Is this "stream of consciousness" writing? But I think I'm onto something. We're all changing everyday. If our God is real - and I'm convinced that is the case - Then loving my enemies is a process, not an instantaneous reality.
Salvation is a lifelong work of God through Christ. The question, "Are you saved?" makes me uncomfortable. The better question is, "Are you justified." Or, in more common terms, "Have you allowed Christ to forgive your sins?" From that moment, we are BEING saved.
Yeah, we're saved from our sins in a moment, but we're saved from so many other things all of our life. For me, maybe I'm being saved from myself. But that's another long story.
How do I love my enemies? I don't have the full answer. But I suppose I can pray for them. At least in my life, prayer has led to many life changing realizations and changes. God isn't done with me. God isn't done with any of us. Do I love my enemies? I don't know. Can I love my enemies. With God's help, I'm sure the answer is, "Yes."
