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I don’t like them in the rain. I don’t like them on a train. I wouldn’t like them if they had a fox. I wouldn’t like them in a box. I don’t like them at all, Cam. I don’t like them, Sam, I am! (Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for the inspiration.)

Life can be challenging without them, so what are we to do with our enemies? The ones whose lives, how they live and act, we can’t stand. The ones we should be able to be around in peace and safety, but their words or actions hurt us anyway, usually when we least expect it. They attack us. And sometimes, these are the ones we share blood with. How should we respond?

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. Mat. 5:43-47 (MSG)

God’s word instructs us to pray for them. That can be hard to do, especially when we want to fight back. When we want to get revenge on them, God says it is his. Honestly, getting even doesn’t do anything but make matters worse.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Rom. 12:17-19 (MSG)

I have written about revenge before. (Have You Considered? ) In a nutshell, when God gets revenge on someone who has hurt us, He slowly removes his hand from their life. His hand protects from the devil. He does this in hopes that it will move them to Him and not further from Him, like Job in the book of Job. If an enemy accepts God and His love, they might begin to act like Him. They might start acting in love.

Praying for your enemy will help you put things in perspective, and it also helps adjust your attitude toward them as well. Giving the hurt and pain to God is the best place for it. He will deliver you, and before you know it, you will be eating a six-course meal in front of them. (Psalms 23:5 MSG)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady.