![]() ![]() Now I’m not saying that we need to coddle everyone or condone everyone’s actions. Even teachers are human! But when I pray for them, my attitude changes and sometimes even their attitude/behavior does, too. Of course I love my students and don’t see them as enemies, but I don’t always feel that love toward them at the moment. I’ve also had this experience in teaching, when a student is acting disruptively or disrespectfully. Though the details of this experience might be better shared over coffee, I can tell you that God gave me a supernatural love for a group that I had every reason to hate. I experienced this firsthand while living in Central Asia. Praying for them also gives us the strength and ability to love them in a way that we are incapable of in our own power. And if the person is a Christian, we can ask God to guide us both. We can remember that if the person we’re at odds with isn’t a Christian, then they may not know what they are doing, and we can ask for them to know God’s forgiveness like we have. Thank God for His grace, mercy, and sacrifice in the form of His Son. We are all just as guilty as the people who were actively participating in the death of Jesus. ![]() It reminds us that we have all been sinners. Praying for them serves several purposes. And probably much more.Īll of this could have been avoided, I’m sure, if I’d taken the time to pray for my enemies before I spoke or acted. I have thrown people under the proverbial bus because I was frustrated with them. I have held grudges long after I should have forgiven someone. I have lashed out in anger against people who I deemed to be working against me. Dehumanizing politicians, using insulting names for people who want a better world in a different way than they do, even desiring the extermination of entire people groups- I’ve seen it all, from family, friends, and former students of mine who claim to be Christ-followers.īut am I any better? Who are my enemies? How have I treated them? I am heartbroken when I see Christians setting such a terrible example for the world. Unfortunately, it’s also one that we fail at miserably. The idea of loving your enemies is, in my opinion, one of the things that sets Christianity apart from many other religions. ![]() “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. ![]()
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