How do I love my enemies?

[directory]

I think that Christ's injunction to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you is, in the abstract, one of the most beautiful notions in the Bible. It seems to put the fundamental impulse of Christianity in such wonderful perspective– enough with this mire of terrestrial pettiness, enough with this childish squabbling among them whom God created to be siblings, enough of these flimsy barriers we build with our pride and wrath against the true order of a loving universe!

But it's such a difficult command to put into practice. When I think of those who've made me angry, those who've mistreated me, those who've said things that I've found objectionable or harmful, those who've been cruel to me and those that are close to me, those who seem to take pleasure in making my life unhappy, I have such a hard time restraining my desire to see them harmed and humiliated, my desire to nurse the wounds they've dealt me just so I can take a vindictive kind of delight in hating them more, my desire to fantasize about getting back at them.

Any criticism of my anger, when I'm in those moods, is difficult to endure. I sometimes force myself to think about the unpleasant and malicious people I've encountered and try to "decide" to love them, even going so far as to pray for them to God by name, but sometimes simply saying or thinking the words "God bless Anthony," when I remember what Anthony has done to me or to someone close to me, is painful in itself– actually meaning it feels impossible. It's like I have to live without the one solace I could take in Anthony's cruelty, without the pleasure of being angry with him, without the pleasure of my sense of moral rightness, without the pleasure that comes with being the righteous victim. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to think, say, and do cruel things with seeming impunity, not troubled for a second by the damage that he does. In the abstract, "love your enemy" is a wonderful command, but in real life, it feels like I'm being ordered to let an injustice stand without even the catharsis of an emotional response.

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

 

[ToBeLoved]

I think that Christ's injunction to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you is, in the abstract, one of the most beautiful notions in the Bible. It seems to put the fundamental impulse of Christianity in such wonderful perspective– enough with this mire of terrestrial pettiness, enough with this childish squabbling among them whom God created to be siblings, enough of these flimsy barriers we build with our pride and wrath against the true order of a loving universe!

But it's such a difficult command to put into practice. When I think of those who've made me angry, those who've mistreated me, those who've said things that I've found objectionable or harmful, those who've been cruel to me and those that are close to me, those who seem to take pleasure in making my life unhappy, I have such a hard time restraining my desire to see them harmed and humiliated, my desire to nurse the wounds they've dealt me just so I can take a vindictive kind of delight in hating them more, my desire to fantasize about getting back at them.

Any criticism of my anger, when I'm in those moods, is difficult to endure. I sometimes force myself to think about the unpleasant and malicious people I've encountered and try to "decide" to love them, even going so far as to pray for them to God by name, but sometimes simply saying or thinking the words "God bless Anthony," when I remember what Anthony has done to me or to someone close to me, is painful in itself– actually meaning it feels impossible. It's like I have to live without the one solace I could take in Anthony's cruelty, without the pleasure of being angry with him, without the pleasure of my sense of moral rightness, without the pleasure that comes with being the righteous victim. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to think, say, and do cruel things with seeming impunity, not troubled for a second by the damage that he does. In the abstract, "love your enemy" is a wonderful command, but in real life, it feels like I'm being ordered to let an injustice stand without even the catharsis of an emotional response.

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

Hi Directory,

I agree that it can be hard, very hard. These are a few of the things that have made forgiving others and treating them with love easier for me.

* God commands us to forgiveness, as He forgives us.


Matthew 6:14-15
14"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15" But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 7:2
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

* Knowing that people who are hurting hurt others and that we do not know other people's hearts and motivations, only God knows that.

Jeremiah 17:10
10"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.

Romans 2:6
God "will repay each person according to what they have done."

* We as Christ's servants are to be a light in the dark places. People should see something different in us because we are His. This brings glory to His Name.

John 1:5
5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Matthew 5:15
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

John 3:19
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Acts 26:18
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'


I hope this helps! God bless you.

 

[JerushaC]

You can't love your enimies. Not by yourself you can't. It is only possible to love your enimies with the power of Jesus in your heart. It can't be done without, because our human nature is full of hate and sin. God is full of love and forgiveness. So without God, no human would have it in them to loves their enimies.

 

[paul1149]

That's right, you can't do it by yourself. We cling to justice as we understand it. Only when we encounter a higher form of mercy, Christ's substitutionary atonement, can the offenses of this world be released from the heart.

For while we were still being weak, yet at the right-time, Christ died for ungodly ones.
For one will rarely die for A righteous person; for perhaps someone may even dare to die for the good person.
But God demonstrates His own love for us because while we were still being sinners, Christ died for us. -Rom 5:6-8​

When we consider that Christ bore all the sin of this world upon Himself, and did it wholly voluntarily out of love, we realize that any offense we may harbor pales in comparison. This is the basis of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Mt 18. He was forgiven a huge debt by his master, but then refused to forgive a tiny debt against his fellow servant.

The only way to forgive offenses is through love. "We love because He first loved us" - 1Jn 4, and "Those who are forgiven much, love much". When we encounter Christ's unfathomable love, there is no defense. We love back. That leads to what Paul writes in Galatians.

For through the Law I died to the Law in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified-with Christ!
And I no longer am living, but Christ is living in me. And what I am now living in the flesh, I am living by faith in the Son of God— the One having loved me and handed Himself over for me.
I am not setting-aside the grace of God! For if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died without-a-reason! -Gal 2:19-21
​

Sometimes forgiveness does not lead to reconciliation. Reconciliation requires the repentance of the offender. But even unilateral forgiveness benefits the forgiver. When you don't forgive, you carry the wound within you and it continues to do harm. And the one who believes in God's ultimate justice knows that no one who refuses God's mercy is going to get away with anything. God prefers mercy over judgment, but as Abraham said, the Judge of the whole earth will do what is right.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

We are loving our enemies from GODS perspective because they too were made like him, but where the line is drawn is that we don't have to love and condone their evil actions. In fact Eph. 5. says to expose evil actions in hopes they will change from the error of their ways and escapte Gods condemnation. It takes a lot of practice and Gods strength to do this requirement . It is possible though.

 

[Steven Wood]

I think that Christ's injunction to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you is, in the abstract, one of the most beautiful notions in the Bible. It seems to put the fundamental impulse of Christianity in such wonderful perspective– enough with this mire of terrestrial pettiness, enough with this childish squabbling among them whom God created to be siblings, enough of these flimsy barriers we build with our pride and wrath against the true order of a loving universe!

But it's such a difficult command to put into practice. When I think of those who've made me angry, those who've mistreated me, those who've said things that I've found objectionable or harmful, those who've been cruel to me and those that are close to me, those who seem to take pleasure in making my life unhappy, I have such a hard time restraining my desire to see them harmed and humiliated, my desire to nurse the wounds they've dealt me just so I can take a vindictive kind of delight in hating them more, my desire to fantasize about getting back at them.

Any criticism of my anger, when I'm in those moods, is difficult to endure. I sometimes force myself to think about the unpleasant and malicious people I've encountered and try to "decide" to love them, even going so far as to pray for them to God by name, but sometimes simply saying or thinking the words "God bless Anthony," when I remember what Anthony has done to me or to someone close to me, is painful in itself– actually meaning it feels impossible. It's like I have to live without the one solace I could take in Anthony's cruelty, without the pleasure of being angry with him, without the pleasure of my sense of moral rightness, without the pleasure that comes with being the righteous victim. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to think, say, and do cruel things with seeming impunity, not troubled for a second by the damage that he does. In the abstract, "love your enemy" is a wonderful command, but in real life, it feels like I'm being ordered to let an injustice stand without even the catharsis of an emotional response.

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

I want you to think of something whenever it's difficult to forgive people. Imagine (I mean close your eyes and try very hard to really picture it) that person having extreme physical harm done to them right in front of you, would you stop it or would you stand there and let it happen? Would you join in? Now be truthful with yourself. If you stopped it no matter what that person did to you it means you have a common ground to get past it. You don't have to forget but you don't want that person to suffer, how much more would they suffer the pit of hell which means you have already started to forgive you just need to remember that image and start to let go. If you let it happen or worse you joined in, well we won't get into that lol. Just remember you can forgive without being a glutton for punishment but be wary about that sense of morality. God loves the humble and had respect for the tax collector who beat his chest begging for forgiveness for being a sinner not for the Pharisee saying thank you I'm not like these. Our job is to be a shepard and bring the lost sheep back. The sheep aren't evil they're just lost and Anthony though the things he does may be hurtful isn't evil only his actions are. We have to keep Jesus' command, loving and teaching ALL, putting all others before us knowing that the entire time we're doing that God is watching us, loving and caring for us, keeping our best interest in mind. God said to love our enemies for a reason dear friend it's easy to love those who love us and also we are his children. Just like he sent his son to save us Jesus sends us to save the lost and if you can't forgive them how could you possibly expect to deserve the Father's forgiveness.

 

[ToBeLoved]

Remember that Jesus wants us to be like him so as he has forgiven us and even on the cross forgive those who persecuted him it gives glory to God each time we do the same so it's not all about the people that were forgiven although that's very very important but it's also a way to give glory to God

 

[graceandpeace]

It's normal to experience anger & hurt over the wrongdoings of others. I don't think "loving your enemies" means you must stop experiencing those emotions in an instant.

What I think it does mean is regardless of how you're feeling at any given moment, you try to view others through the lens of God's love. To view others as being made in God's image & thus worthy of dignity.

One of the lessons Jesus taught is that even an unexpected person - even an enemy - could be the one who shows us compassion. That's the lesson of the Good Samaritan parable. It's a lesson I try to remember when viewing others.

Peace be with you.

 

[razzelflabben]

I think that Christ's injunction to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you is, in the abstract, one of the most beautiful notions in the Bible. It seems to put the fundamental impulse of Christianity in such wonderful perspective– enough with this mire of terrestrial pettiness, enough with this childish squabbling among them whom God created to be siblings, enough of these flimsy barriers we build with our pride and wrath against the true order of a loving universe!

But it's such a difficult command to put into practice. When I think of those who've made me angry, those who've mistreated me, those who've said things that I've found objectionable or harmful, those who've been cruel to me and those that are close to me, those who seem to take pleasure in making my life unhappy, I have such a hard time restraining my desire to see them harmed and humiliated, my desire to nurse the wounds they've dealt me just so I can take a vindictive kind of delight in hating them more, my desire to fantasize about getting back at them.

Any criticism of my anger, when I'm in those moods, is difficult to endure. I sometimes force myself to think about the unpleasant and malicious people I've encountered and try to "decide" to love them, even going so far as to pray for them to God by name, but sometimes simply saying or thinking the words "God bless Anthony," when I remember what Anthony has done to me or to someone close to me, is painful in itself– actually meaning it feels impossible. It's like I have to live without the one solace I could take in Anthony's cruelty, without the pleasure of being angry with him, without the pleasure of my sense of moral rightness, without the pleasure that comes with being the righteous victim. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to think, say, and do cruel things with seeming impunity, not troubled for a second by the damage that he does. In the abstract, "love your enemy" is a wonderful command, but in real life, it feels like I'm being ordered to let an injustice stand without even the catharsis of an emotional response.

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

You answered your own question and didn't even realize it. Love comes from the Holy Spirit but it's very core, the spoke from which all true Love flows out to others is HUMILITY...when it stops being about you and how you feel, what you think, what you want or think just, you become free to Love with the purity, grace, and humility of Christ.

 

[dhh712]

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

You can pray to God to change your heart, but ultimately you can't do it on your own. God may not even will it to be that way for you. That is why you--all of us--need Jesus because he is the only one who was able to do that along with every other thing demanded by the law. He is the only one that can stand perfectly before God without any sin upon him. Even if we were able to love our enemies (I think God gives that beautiful gift to only a few of his children), we would still be marred by other sin in our lives; maybe there was more of it in our past than present but no one of us can ever be free from sin in our souls and bodies, completely in our lives.

I think it is a beautiful thing for you to want to love your enemies. Many of us Christians struggle a lot with this as well as with other sins: how can I feel more excited about being saved such as I do when I get some extra income I hadn't been expecting during the month? Why can't I be more excited about reading the Bible as I am when I read other books? To some of his children, God has already given the grace to overcome some of these things and these Christians should feel humbled that the Lord has given them such wonderful gifts. But I think I wouldn't be going too far out on a limb to say that a good percentage of Christians struggle to let go of this world and look forward to the next (especially if times are good and comfortable). Yet, that is as much a sin as not loving our enemies.

In short, we need Jesus. He is the only one who can make us perfect before God, to enable us to achieve the only lasting happiness a human will ever know: eternal fellowship with God our creator.

 

[ToBeLoved]

You answered your own question and didn't even realize it. Love comes from the Holy Spirit but it's very core, the spoke from which all true Love flows out to others is HUMILITY...when it stops being about you and how you feel, what you think, what you want or think just, you become free to Love with the purity, grace, and humility of Christ.

That is really on point Razz. Good one!

 

[wagingwar]

I loved my grandmother very much. She was very special to me. I loved her smile, and I could tell she really loved me. There was also something about her that made me pity her. I think it was her sadness, her eyes gave it away. Though I loved her, many people hated her. She was an alcoholic most of her life, and when her kids were young she couldn't take care of them for that very reason. She didn't cook for them, or take them shopping. She would call them inside to eat dinner and when they got inside and asked where dinner was, she would tell them to make a sandwich. My mom and aunt never spoke well of her, though my mom was there for her when she needed her. I seen the hate on their faces, and heard it in their tone when they spoke of her, all out of pain from their childhood, of course. But I seen beyond what others seen. I seen a hurting, damaged woman that was begging to be loved by someone, anyone. Other people saw an abrasive, angry, selfish woman, I seen a broken heart. Everyone has another side, and you have to see the other side if you want to love them. If you want to see the other side, you have to be willing to look. I was a kid, and I had no reason not to want to look. As an adult I have to remind myself to "look" at the other side. What you see is most likely not what you get when you see your enemies! Ask God to show you what's really on the inside of these people, of all people, and you won't be able to help loving them. you won't be able to help seeing their anger as pain, their aggression as a cry for help, their coldness as a wall of defense. Ask God to show you what's behind the mean, prideful mask they're wearing. Ask God to show you what he sees, and it will melt your heart of stone, and it will allow the love of God that was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost in Romans 5:5 to come alive in you, and flow from you to those you once hated. Sometimes I just start treating a person as if I love them like I love my own kids, and not only does my feelings change for them, they're attitude begins to change. When we act on love, even when there's no feelings, God does miracles. Love can bring feelings, but love is not a feeling. Love is a decision to treat someone the way you would want to be treated no matter how you feel about them, what they've done, what they are still doing, and what you believe to be the truth about them. If you're not sure how to act on love without feelings, here's a few things from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, kind, has self control, doesn't seek what's best for self, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, and endures all things. And one thing is for sure, I've never seen love fail. It comes through when nothing else will.

 

[ToBeLoved]

I loved my grandmother very much. She was very special to me. I loved her smile, and I could tell she really loved me. There was also something about her that made me pity her. I think it was her sadness, her eyes gave it away. Though I loved her, many people hated her. She was an alcoholic most of her life, and when her kids were young she couldn't take care of them for that very reason. She didn't cook for them, or take them shopping. She would call them inside to eat dinner and when they got inside and asked where dinner was, she would tell them to make a sandwich. My mom and aunt never spoke well of her, though my mom was there for her when she needed her. I seen the hate on their faces, and heard it in their tone when they spoke of her, all out of pain from their childhood, of course. But I seen beyond what others seen. I seen a hurting, damaged woman that was begging to be loved by someone, anyone. Other people saw an abrasive, angry, selfish woman, I seen a broken heart. Everyone has another side, and you have to see the other side if you want to love them. If you want to see the other side, you have to be willing to look. I was a kid, and I had no reason not to want to look. As an adult I have to remind myself to "look" at the other side. What you see is most likely not what you get when you see your enemies! Ask God to show you what's really on the inside of these people, of all people, and you won't be able to help loving them. you won't be able to help seeing their anger as pain, their aggression as a cry for help, their coldness as a wall of defense. Ask God to show you what's behind the mean, prideful mask they're wearing. Ask God to show you what he sees, and it will melt your heart of stone, and it will allow the love of God that was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost in Romans 5:5 to come alive in you, and flow from you to those you once hated. Sometimes I just start treating a person as if I love them like I love my own kids, and not only does my feelings change for them, they're attitude begins to change. When we act on love, even when there's no feelings, God does miracles. Love can bring feelings, but love is not a feeling. Love is a decision to treat someone the way you would want to be treated no matter how you feel about them, what they've done, what they are still doing, and what you believe to be the truth about them. If you're not sure how to act on love without feelings, here's a few things from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, kind, has self control, doesn't seek what's best for self, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, and endures all things. And one thing is for sure, I've never seen love fail. It comes through when nothing else will.

I loved reading that. That is so true. Most people aside from their anger and bad habits just want to be loved.

We can heal broken hearts with our love. That's a good reminder how powerful love and forgiveness are.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[wagingwar]

I loved reading that. That is so true. Most people aside from their anger and bad habits just want to be loved.

We can heal broken hearts with our love. That's a good reminder how powerful love and forgiveness are.

Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[throughfiierytrial]

...How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

You should, as a Christian, want Anthony to see the error of his ways and repent. This is not a painless process if he is sincere in his repenting. There is a Psalm, Psalm 35:1-3, which reads:
Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
Brandish spear and javelina
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”

Pray this Psalm and pray Anthony's eye's are opened by the Lord so that your brotherly love for one another may be resting on something more meaningful, namely, Christ!

 

[The Mystical Way]

I think that Christ's injunction to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you is, in the abstract, one of the most beautiful notions in the Bible. It seems to put the fundamental impulse of Christianity in such wonderful perspective– enough with this mire of terrestrial pettiness, enough with this childish squabbling among them whom God created to be siblings, enough of these flimsy barriers we build with our pride and wrath against the true order of a loving universe!

But it's such a difficult command to put into practice. When I think of those who've made me angry, those who've mistreated me, those who've said things that I've found objectionable or harmful, those who've been cruel to me and those that are close to me, those who seem to take pleasure in making my life unhappy, I have such a hard time restraining my desire to see them harmed and humiliated, my desire to nurse the wounds they've dealt me just so I can take a vindictive kind of delight in hating them more, my desire to fantasize about getting back at them.

Any criticism of my anger, when I'm in those moods, is difficult to endure. I sometimes force myself to think about the unpleasant and malicious people I've encountered and try to "decide" to love them, even going so far as to pray for them to God by name, but sometimes simply saying or thinking the words "God bless Anthony," when I remember what Anthony has done to me or to someone close to me, is painful in itself– actually meaning it feels impossible. It's like I have to live without the one solace I could take in Anthony's cruelty, without the pleasure of being angry with him, without the pleasure of my sense of moral rightness, without the pleasure that comes with being the righteous victim. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to think, say, and do cruel things with seeming impunity, not troubled for a second by the damage that he does. In the abstract, "love your enemy" is a wonderful command, but in real life, it feels like I'm being ordered to let an injustice stand without even the catharsis of an emotional response.

How can I make myself feel any differently? How can I stop stoking my positive hatred for the damaging people I've encountered, much less develop a positive love for them? I want everyone to be saved, of course, but then, if I had my way, everyone in the universe would be saved, no matter how awful their crimes. It isn't enough to say "I want Anthony to ultimately see the error of his ways and repent." I know I should love Anthony at this very moment, even in his sin, even in his cruelty, even as I continue to suffer because of him. But how can I let go of my spite when it comes so instinctively, and offers such comfort? How can I love an awful person when it shocks my conscience to do so?

Learn to redefine "love" solely as a verb, and as a way of acting, and as a duty and a responsibility that has nothing to do with your personal feelings — not as an emotion that can change as fast as the weather. That's how you can do it. Of course it often simply isn't practical to actually be nice to some people because they're so mean-spirited and warped and stuff that it will actually make things worse, but you still have a choice in praying for nice things to happen to them, or even wishing for nice things to happen to them if praying is too much to ask....

 

[Blondepudding]

If we love those that hate us, wish us harm, wish us dead even, what does that say about our respect for those we care about and whom we love?

If I give my rapist, hypothetical, love what does that say when I'm in love with the man I married?

Did God demonstrate love for his enemies in the bible passages old and new?

 

[Eryk]

Just deal with your thoughts. You don't have to work on resentment. Just cultivate compassion.

In your imagination, wish them well - desire that they will be happy and completely safe. Use words and visualise them happy. Love and joy will come back to you as you do this - Love is giving you more love to keep on loving. You will discover that there is an infinite supply. You will be overwhelmed by joy. And you will discover that your joy comes from loving. It does not depend on how others treat you. You will be free, and the rarest kind of person: an emotional adult.

 

[The Mystical Way]

If we love those that hate us, wish us harm, wish us dead even, what does that say about our respect for those we care about and whom we love?

If I give my rapist, hypothetical, love what does that say when I'min love with the man I married?

Did God demonstrate love for his enemies in the bible passages old and new?

Well of course you're going to struggle with the idea of the definition of love when you define it according to the emotionally impoverished standards of today's developed society and look at it through a particular cultural frame of reference while living under the shadow of the current zeitgeist.

If you can love those who hate you and wish the worst for you and so forth, then how much more will you be able to love those who love and care about you! And yes, that's a statement, not a question. It might take a while to process though. I write funny sometimes.

And nobody ever said that loving your enemies didn't mean that you weren't allowed to have some negative feelings for them (EDIT: I don't mean like full-on hatred, but just acknowledging any pain they cause you plus being wary of them). Christ said, "Love your enemies." He didn't say that you actually had to stop regarding them as your enemies. He didn't say, "Stop thinking of your enemies as your enemies and think of them as your friends instead." That's a whole different kettle of fish. He wasn't stupid you know. If you stop thinking of your enemies as your enemies, that's when they'll really be able to do you harm! Gotta be as wise as serpents.

EDIT #2: Almost missed the point you raised about God loving His enemies. Look at it this way: by the time He brought whatever punishment He brought upon them, He'd have got well and truly sick of loving the living daylights out of them far more than any mortal would have spent time doing.

 

[Blondepudding]

Well of course you're going to struggle with the idea of the definition of love when you define it according to the emotionally impoverished standards of today's developed society and look at it through a particular cultural frame of reference while living under the shadow of the current zeitgeist.

If you can love those who hate you and wish the worst for you and so forth, then how much more will you be able to love those who love and care about you! And yes, that's a statement, not a question. It might take a while to process though. I write funny sometimes.

And nobody ever said that loving your enemies didn't mean that you weren't allowed to have some negative feelings for them (EDIT: I don't mean like full-on hatred, but just acknowledging any pain they cause you plus being wary of them). Christ said, "Love your enemies." He didn't say that you actually had to stop regarding them as your enemies. He didn't say, "Stop thinking of your enemies as your enemies and think of them as your friends instead." That's a whole different kettle of fish. He wasn't stupid you know. If you stop thinking of your enemies as your enemies, that's when they'll really be able to do you harm! Gotta be as wise as serpents.

EDIT #2: Almost missed the point you raised about God loving His enemies. Look at it this way: by the time He brought whatever punishment He brought upon them, He'd have got well and truly sick of loving the living daylights out of them far more than any mortal would have spent time doing.

And yet all things were predetermined before each person was born into that life God mapped out for them.Predestined before the womb.

If you love those who offend you even criminally how do you allow the world, the state, to prosecute them on your behalf? When you're in the spirit and respond to hate with love how do you approve the state that prosecutes with indifference on your behalf.

As for wise as serpents, in the beginning the enemy of God was made into one as punishment for leading the first couple astray in the garden. That living on his belly curse a punishment on the enemy of God for all time.

How then is our wisdom to reckon with that which is wisdom of a serpent that is the adversary of righteousness?