Doing Good to Enemies |
God's View:
Rom. 1:16
; lu. 9:23-24; Ps. 1:1-3
-Doing good is accomplished by words
and deeds-by praying and blessing , and by turning and giving. To bless is
to give words of life that nourish the soul and deepen its desire for truth.
The wisdom to do this must be developed to learn how to apply truth to the
differing situations and people we encountered.
Study of God's word is the only way and means to have wisdom. The godly skill to respond to life is mastered only after the expenditures of heart, soul and strength and mind to grow in ability and performance.
Hope:
James 1:5-8
; Proverbs 18:21
-"How am I to use my tongue?" . . . .
. . "What should my attitude be to my neighbor" . . . . . . "How am I to
deal with fools?" These questions and others as when to hold my tongue and
when to speak, how to avoid unnecessary conflicts and how to confront when
necessary. To live shrewdly in a fallen world with love and integrity requires
much wisdom and God is our source. In any and all situations take a long
walk to talk with God, rehearse typical scenes, ponder out loud with God
how to handle various relationships. This is prayer and and is the best way
to invite God to use us and to teach us what it means to love boldly.
l Pet. 2:23 ; Matt. 5:38-48 -The Lord did not use contempt or intimidation to shame and frighten His accusers. Turning the other cheek is to thwart the enemy's attempt to intimidate and shame by which he controls the situation, kindness and generosity causes him to stumble because you did not fight or flight. Thus, a gift of grace exposes hatred and rage and invites the enemy to wrestle with his sin.
Rom. 12:9 ; 1 Cor. 13:8 ; Rom. 8:1 -Love conquers and love foils the evil person to win. Evil's strength lies in their ability to dominate, the frustrations of their attempts will weaken their role. But one must be willing, without flinching, to face shame and hatred.
Change:
Heb. 12:1-2
; l Pet. 4:1-2
-God promises in due season we will
yield a harvest of righteous fruit if we keep in mind God's purposes in the
midst of pain. If we desire to know God in the midst of suffering, growth
will be our reward.
l Cor. 5:5 ; 2 Thess. 3:14-15 -If reconciliation is not possible due to an unrepentant heart, then separation from the individual may be in order. It is not loving to continue an evil relationship with a person who consistently and perniciously sins against you without some sign of repentance and change.
2 Chron. 20:12
; Joshua 1:1-9
; John 15:5
-In all evil confrontation, the battle
is the Lord's Who will be with you, for it requires supernatural intervention.
It is the mighty God who can change your heart and can change the evil person
or the circumstances as well.