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Love Your Enemies

One of the more well-known commands in Scripture is the command to “Love your enemies.” This was true when Jesus said it. And it’s still true for Christians today. The upcoming election and intense political strife of this season means all Christians need this reminder.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Jesus (Matthew 5:43-45)

Christians and their Enemies

Everyone has enemies. It’s just a fact of life. The question is what you do with them.

Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant presents a severe warning for his disciples. In this parable, Jesus tells of a servant who was forgiven the debt of a lifetime by a merciful king. After having his own debt cancelled, he crosses paths with someone who owes him money then has them arrested and imprisoned until it is repaid in full. The man is rebuked and punished for his hypocrisy.

Jesus makes it clear that the Christian’s disposition should be marked by grace and mercy. Our attitude towards enemies must be anchored in the gospel. For, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Because we have received the grace of God, we give it.

“What if God treated me
the way I treat my enemies?”


Stop and ask, “What if God treated me the way I treat my enemies?” When Christians are harsh and mean-spirited towards their enemies they are not reflecting Christ, but the worldliness they have been called to turn away from.

Leave Your Enemies in God’s Hands

Have you ever heard someone resist your correcting by saying, “Only God can judge me!” Honestly, this is a terrifying truth. God is the judge, and his judgment will not miss the mark. He is perfectly just, and every sin will be revealed before him. The above statement is true, but it doesn’t give permission to “live and let live.”

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'”

Apostle Paul (Romans 12:19)

While the section above emphasizes grace and mercy towards one’s enemies, Christians are able to do that because they trust God’s judgment above their own. Evil will not go unpunished. But because God is love, Jesus took that punishment for us… and for those who confess and repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus Christ. That invitation stands for our enemies.

So far, this is generally safe territory for Christians. The challenge comes when are asked whether or not we can celebrate over our enemy’s salvation. Are you willing to pray for him, worship and study the Bible with him, and minister to his children as fellow-members of the body of Christ? Or do you simply quote Romans 12:19 as a message of doom against those who have sinned against you?

Trust God’s judgment upon others as much as you trust his judgment upon yourself.

Loving Your Enemies

Christians carry the name of Christ. When we spread hate and judgment, we do so in the name of Christ. When we speak online with harsh words that we would be ashamed to say in front of our mother or pastor, we are still doing so in the name of Christ. In addition to many other commands these actions break – they break the 3rd Commandment: Thou shall not dishonor the name of the LORD your God.

Loving your enemy doesn’t mean you pretend they are a friend. That’s exactly what makes it so unique – it’s unnecessary, surprising, and you probably receive zero benefit from showing this kind of mercy. If you only love those who love you back, and if you only give to those who give back to you… then you’re no different from everyone else in the world. But if you love your enemy who believes and expects the worst about you then that’s truly Christlike. You can call this loving your enemy or you can call it Christian Tolerance, but it starts with generosity towards your enemy while continuing to acknowledge the important differences that continue to exist.

May our actions, words, and attitudes bring honor to the name of Christ Jesus. What if we stopped arguing back, and took a posture of genuine mercy?

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:14-21
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The Christian & Social Media

Social Media Apps

We spend more time on social media than we want to admit. Because of that, it’s worth asking, “How does my faith in Christ influence what I post online?”

First, let me be clear: not everything in social media needs to be serious. Have fun. Post silly pictures. Share funny stories. But in the midst of the silliness, shouldn’t we still be thoughtful about how we are reflecting Christ online?

The following is a short set a questions that has been helpful for me based off Micah 6:8, which says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Does it promote justice and kindness?

  • Is this post honest about life, or is it an edited version that I want to show people in an effort to look awesome? Is this post reflecting the “American Dream” or the life of Christ?
  • Does this post reflect God’s Word and what He has said about mercy, justice, love and godliness? Or does this reflect false expectations about how the world talks about those things?
  • Am I genuinely seeking to make people aware of injustice, or am I hopping on the latest bandwagon? Is this a real case on injustice, or has someone simply been offended? There’s a difference between being offended and suffering injustice.
  • Is this post written in a way that is thoughtful and will not cause unnecessary offense? Sometimes in our efforts to raise awareness or add commentary, the way in which we say things is so thoughtless our actual point gets overshadowed.

Does it reflect humility?

  • Am I being self-promoting right now? As a blogger this one is tricky, because I want people to read what I write, but I need to be writing it in order to help people (not in order to make a name for myself).
  • Am I only thinking about people who are like me, or am I posting this with those who are different from me in mind? If someone voices disagreement (even if it’s over an issue I care deeply about), will I immediately get defensive or aggressive, or will I honestly consider their viewpoint?
  • If I’m posting something that may be offensive to some, am I sharing this because it is truly worth the possible offense or backlash?
  • Can you experience something great or something terrible without posting about it? If your first though is, “I need to share this,” then you may need to dig deeper into Christ-exalting humility.

Does it help people walk faithfully with God?

  • Does your post direct people towards the good news of Jesus Christ? If our lives should point to Christ, then shouldn’t our online profiles?
  • Is your social media filled with complaints, gripes, and rants? Or is it full of posts that highlight everything amazing about your life? Both of these extremes drive people away from worship (because either God is faithless to his children, or your life is so amazing you simply don’t need him). There is glorious hope in the daily grind of living for Christ.
  • Are you posting so frequently about controversial topics that you’ve become a “social justice warrior” rather than an evangelist? If you constantly blast people with certain political/justice issues then they will not listen when you speak about Jesus… you will be tuned out.
  • If someone scanned through your social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), would they see someone whose life reflects Christ? This doesn’t mean you only and always share Christian-themed posts, but it does mean your profiles display the joys and trials (and the normalcy) of someone who is following Christ.

Again, don’t allow these questions to lead you to think social media needs to be all serious. It doesn’t, and it shouldn’t be. And yet, I hope these three main questions help you evaluate whether or not your social media platforms need to be recalibrated.

If there are other guidelines you frequently use to determine whether or not to share something online, please leave them in the comments below. 

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Be What You Want To See

One of the most important things I’ve ever read about parents came to me through the book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Teenagers. After conducting the most extensive study on the religious beliefs of American teenagers, Christian Smith and his team concluded, “We’ll get what we are.”

By and large, when it comes to parenting, we will get what we are. This isn’t always the case, and sometimes that’s a really good thing, sometimes it’s not.

If this is true (and I believe it is, though I’m not interested right now in defending it), then as parents we all need to take a look at how we are living and ask, “If my kids become me, will I be happy with who they’ve turned into?”

My wife and I were talking last night about our concerns that our son has been watching too much television and that he likes playing on his Kindle Fire too much. Meanwhile, he has bins of toys and shelves of books which aren’t getting the attention we’d love them to receive.

And yet, I consistently have my iPhone with me as I walk throughout the house and we almost always have a television on in the house.

So… we need to ask ourselves what example we’re setting. We need to become the change we want to see.

One of my friends and mentors, Walt Muller, coincidentally wrote the following blog post which is perfectly timed. My family will be taking the challenge issued in Walt’s post, I encourage you to consider it too.

Social Media Enslavement… What I’m Going to Do… and a Challenge… 

So. . . I’ve decided to lay out some rules. Initially, I thought they’d be great rules to pass on to parents, teachers, and teenagers themselves. Reality is, I can’t pass them on unless I’m already gripping them tightly in my own hands. Here are the rules I’m going to enlist in my own life. I want to invite you to try them out as well. . . for a week maybe. . . and then let me know if you’ve seen any benefits.

1. Don’t engage with your smartphone as long as you are present with and/or in conversation with real flesh and blood human beings. They deserve your full attention.

2. Don’t bring your smartphone or screen of any kind to the table. Converse with others over the meal. . . using your eyes, your voice, your ears, and your full attention.

(there’s more good stuff in this post, click the link to read the rest)

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