Your Enemies Need Your Prayer!

I was once completely baffled at two specific commands in the bible:

1. to love the neighbour and

2. to give thanks in all things.

Honestly, i sometimes really don’t like my proverbial neighbour.

I also sometimes despise some of my situations aka trials, and find myself  rhetorically lamenting “What’s to love or give thanks for?”.

Then one day it dawned on me…
Light is an absolute state of being. It just exists true to itself. But we wouldn’t completely understand light without experiencing darkness.

Darkness is NOT an absolute state of being. It is a condition entirely defined by lack, specifically the lack of light.

Now I understand it. With Christ, and when I am fully submitted and aligned under His authority I emit the light and love of Christ. His glory shines through without me realising, as I’m sure happens for you also.

Then when I get around people who are not in alignment the lack at the core of their being screams through in their behaviour. The lack, be it the lack of character/confidence/authenticity/sense of self, all falls under the label of darkness aka LACK. This perfectly explains why our enemies hate us, they are simply intimidated by being outshone by the light shining through  your presence. THAT is at the heart of the enemy.

“Enemy” has historically been dealt a raw deal. We label people enemy by the deeds of their heart, spoken or not, concealed or not, aware or not as the case may be.

Fundamentally, enemy is a condition, and specifically one defined by lack.
Just as sickness is the lack of health, enemy is the lack of light (truth/Christ/self-knowledge).

We often encounter enemy situations to test & refine our own godly character and/or have the opportunity for the light of Christ within us to shine, by loving, gracefully those we encounter who are without (in darkness). The critical and most important part is thay when dealing with enemies, we have to remember that they often don’t realise the extent of their darkness. In a world where people live under a mask, few ever really take the time to look alone face to face with their true selves. For if they did this they’d realise the extent of their lack, i know because I’ve lived it. It is a painful process to face yourself and all your deficiencies but that is the essential posture of humility before God – realising we NEED HIM and thus His Light. That posture is not limited to a physical position, but also doubles as a process…. one characterised by facing our own brokenness and then having the stubborn parts of us being broken by life situations as we surrender to God.

Sadly many of those in darkness don’t realise that this is their reality. They have no concept that they even lack anything much less the light of life itself.

This therefore can apply to professing Christians in equal measure –  without the operating Word within your heart, their lives are effectively lived in a state of darkness, and completely ignorant to this (Sometimes wilfully) their behaviours give them away – behaviours of insecurity, jealousy, envy. We are familiar with this in the Saul-David, Cane,-Abel, Joseph-brothers biblical accounts.

This is a time that doesn’t call for hate, it calls for love, and grace and prayers.

So now I understand… the life situations I sometimes despise are sent to help me grow in godliness and share my light and love with others.

Now I understand that those around me who are classically known as enemies are not people to hate; They are to be loved and given grace and prayed for so that they can heal and also joyfully & authentically emit Christ’s light through their own lives.

So yes, be thankful in all things, and love your enemies and pray for them.

 

Be blessed.