love your enemies
As my Grandpa added the words, “Love your enemies” to his list of things he learned in his life that he would share with others, I wondered if we really understand what that statement is saying.
Here is a popular idea going around lately…
I believe this is one of the most profound things that has ever been placed in the public eye. As Jesus spoke these words back in the day, I wonder what people thought, how big their eyes got, if a lot of wise and respected and loved men just dropped their jaw in awe of what he was saying. Who knows, maybe the rocks cried out that day for love.
All I know is, I can’t deny this amazing fact, to love your enemies.
Even though I truly believe that God has placed governments to wage war upon the evil in the world in order to keep peace in their own nations, I truly believe that as followers of Jesus, we have to realize the importance of loving our enemies and not retaliating at or getting revenge from them.
So, I encourage all of you, to not retaliate or become angry with the terrorists or oppressors of the world, or even the opposing candidate for president who you might think is a terrorist or traitor himself.
Love your enemies.
just as Jesus loved the Romans, including Herod.
I would say righteous anger is alright towards terrorists / terrorist actions.
A parent is still angry at a child when it does something wrong, but the parent still loves that child (in most cases anyway).
I totally 100% yes yes yes agree with loving your enemies, but I just wanted to mention some stuff.
“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
Terrorist ways are evil. Love will not delight in evil. Although we must love them, we cannot love everything they are because a lot of what they are is consumed in evil ways.
But this is my main point:
“Love is not easily angered.”
EASILY angered. I may easily anger someone if I forgot to do a favor for them. But when a terrorist acts out, that is not a wrong that “easily angers”. It’s not a “no biggie” you can brush aside. You do have a right to be angry. You have a right to be down right pissed off. But, you don’t have the right to retaliate. That isn’t part of love. You must forgive.
Also, “love always protects”.
Yes, governments have a duty and obligation to make peace through unfortunate things such as war. Also to wage war due to peace being threatened.
I think with your first point, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” I think that there is a way to love and not delight in the evil a terrorist does. They probably would figure that anyways… But as a Christian, you can have anger, but it is a matter of not taking the anger into our hands, and letting God do what he will, letting him have all that anger and let him retaliate…
Great points, though. Ive been trying to find out for a while who really is our enemy, in God’s eyes.
also, the pictures and the link are just something i found interesting, something im trying to figure out, something im trying to decide what I think about… it is all just thoughts im having, this post in no way is me endorsing what the pictures and the link is saying…