Love Your Enemies "Frenemies"

You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that? -- Matthew 5

This text takes me back to the Cross... when Jesus was being crucified - put to death at the hands of his own friends, he prayed for them. Talk about betrayal! It hurts so much to feel betrayed, stabbed in the back by friends. But in the grand scheme of things, is it really so bad when friends talk about you behind your back? They could always give you up to police for a crime you never committed and watch you put to death. Jesus suffered the ultimate betrayal yet he still loved these people and showed them grace.... and he still shows ME grace every single day through my many, many flaws and imperfections.

So can't I just give the same grace that has been given to me? Just now, I prayed for some "frenemies" and it felt so great to ask God to bless them, to prosper them, to protect them... it gave me a peace beyond understanding. I know that God is teaching me so much about myself through this process. Iron sharpens iron after all :)

His love is like a tide that has swept over me and is healing me and I am so grateful. Love is a choice we make every single day and some days are harder than others... but I am committed to growing in love!

Slowly I am learning to let go of the pain and betrayal and leave it in God's hands. Justice will always prevail anyway.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! - Amos 5:24

Thank you God!!