Killing Our Enemies
Randall Caselman
6/11/97
Killing Our Enemies
Enemies. We all have them. Perhaps a father who was abusive, or one who worked all the time and was never available; maybe a mother who was always critical and judgmental, a spouse who betrayed us. An enemy can be an old friend who has hurt us deeply or a boss who has treated us unfairly. Maybe it is someone we hold in high esteem who appeared to ignore us completely.
The Greek word for
enemy simply suggests one with whom we are
out-of-step with. An enemy is more likely to be someone among family or friends rather than someone distant who holds an evil intent toward us.
Well, regardless of who they are, Jesus tells us to forgive them. How? What is forgiveness and how do we go about forgiving our enemies?
First, there must be a change of heart. Solomon wrote,
as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We must decide in our own heart that forgiveness is what we really want.
Forgiveness must originate inside the person doing the forgiving. Unlike reconciliation,
forgiveness only takes one. That's me! Attempting forgiveness without a changed heart is counterproductive and leads to serious problems both within self and within our future relationship with the one we are attempting to forgive.
Jesus instructs us to love our enemies and pray for them. Love is a heart condition and note that Jesus says that love must come first.
Secondly, pray for God’s intervention in the process. Heart conditions are serious business. We need God’s help. Ask Him to help us with our own fears, feeling, pain and anger. Changing hearts, healing hearts is a God business. He is the expert. He is the heart specialist. Trust Him and no one else with such a delicate procedure.
In our prayers, we must admit our need and pray that God will soften our heart, mold it into the image of His Son. Help us to have His heart, His attitude. Paul tells us that our heart, our attitude should be the same as that of Jesus.
Let this heart be in you also.
Then ask God to providentially provide opportunities for us to approach forgiveness and reconciliation with the one we want to forgive. Attempting forgiveness without God’s assistance can be fatal to future relationships.
Don’t be too concerned about what to pray for on behalf of our enemies. Just do it! Just pray for God’s blessings in their life and let His omniscience fill in the blanks.
You see, it is difficult to hold a grudge, think ugly thoughts or perpetrate revenge and retaliation toward one that we are praying for. Some one has said,
The best way to do away with an enemy is to make a friend of him. Praying for an enemy softens our heart, enabling God to remold and remake it into a friendship shape, while at the same time helping the one for whom we are praying.
Then thirdly, attempt reconciliation, act on our intent. With a changed heart and God’s intervention, next comes action. When the heart heals and love replaces anger, only then can we will find ways to express our love.
When the opportunities come, take advantage of them:
• Be ready to say,
I love you. I forgive you.
• Invite them into our family and friendship circle.
• Do good to them.
• Speak well of them to others.
• Be prepared to act on every impulse of love that comes to mind.
• Do not quench the spirit.
God’s plan for killing our enemies is simple...
Forgive them.
—
Randall Caselman
