Loving your enemies

[Faith612]

I am doing a Beth Moore bible study which is pretty good by the way...one of the lessons in the past 2 weeks was about loving your enemies and praying for them. This really got me thinking, how do you do that? Love your enemies that is? I can pray for them, no problem there and I can do it sincerely. But I don't know how to love them.

It's not that I have a lot of enemies, not even sure I have any, although I might be surprised! :/ There are some people though, that I strongly dislike. There is a girl that did work in my salon that had a problem with me and to this day I don't even have a CLUE why.. she is long gone now which made the whole salon atmosphere much better. That's the closest I can come to an enemy at this time anyway...
I prayed for her, but I don't love her. Just being honest... I don't love her even a little bit. I don't know how to. She made me miserable and did things to make things purposely difficult for me. How do you love someone like that? Or someone that hurts you or your child... even in more distressed situations, how do you love your enemies?

I pray about this.. I haven't been able to wrap my brain around this one. I am really trying to do better and be more of an example. Why is this so hard?

 

[stormdancer0]

Two different kinds of love. Human love, emotion, feeling, etc.

And God love, a decision, I will love this person. If they need food, I'll feed them. I will offer to pray for them, then do it. Every time I think about that person, I will reject negative thoughts, and intentionally replace them with positive ones. Whether I feel it or not.

 

[keeptrying]

I think stormdancer has it. It's a decision you must make. It's not a feeling you have towards that person. I have a difficult time with it myself. I am able not to hate them, and I can pray for them, but love them is harder.

 

[Faith612]

Thank you for your replies, I appreciate them.
It is very difficult at times, depends on the person and what happened. I admit though, I would find it very difficult if it were something that was done against my child or husband.
I don't know... this study I'm doing really has me sorting out these kinds of things. I took this one for granted in a way. Pushed it to the back of my mind and decided it didn't really matter for me. (At least at this time.) Well... the Beth Moore study I'm doing forced me to face it head on, question it and apply it. Which is the reason I'm asking questions about it.

Thank you again!