10/09/2024
"Pray for your enemies"
Have you ever had someone who did you bad, or perhaps you helped them, and when you were down, they were nowhere to be found? Jesus talked about this in Matthew 5:43-45 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
This was radical teaching for Jesus Day; even now, many only pray for their enemy's downfall. Jesus made it abundantly clear that such a mentality was not his way. Most of us, have ignorantly fallen into the trap of having someone to help us, only to find that now because we accepted that help, we are reminded every time we see that person or persons. This too is not God, Jesus doesn't keep score. For that, I am eternally grateful.
How about this one, you share a struggle with a friend and they shared it with everyone else at your expense? Bitterness is one of the most toxic substances in Spiritual warfare. Like the plague, it affects and infects those who come in contact with it. The Apostle Paul explains why, Hebrews 12:
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
And we have all seen "Brother and Sister 'been wronged" up there praying crying and shouting not for the salvation of their enemy's soul but because they want the whole church and the world for that matter to know they have been wronged by a "So called Saint of God!" No matter that them bemoaning their fate, is creating confusion and contention in the house God and could very likely cause someone to be lost. They were wronged and they are going to let everyone know who did it, and most importantly what was done! They have a right to let everybody know they have been hurt! After all "Whatever is done in darkness shall be brought to light!"
No matter that there is no correlation whatsoever between the true contextual meaning of that verse and the bitterness they are wallowing in. It works and it's God's word and that's all that is important!
Many when they are wronged fail to see that the person or persons who hurt them is already in trouble spiritually and the fact that they have drifted from the Lord has a lot to do with the hurting and harming others. This is the time when those souls need prayer intervention the most! The problem is, because of their own false pride,inferioritiess, and it's all about me, attitude, the wounded is often too blind to see that this person could soon become a casualty of war and be lost for all eternity.
Enter the Mentor: This is the time when a seasoned saint or elder needs to step up and lovingly expound to the wounded soul that, "It's not about them!" Yes, they were wrong, someone whom they trusted broke that trust. But that is not what is important here, what is important that the one who send be restored in a spirit of meekness and the rent in the delicate fabric of the Church is mended. It's time to educate all involved that it's not "Who's right" but rather "What's right". We must never forget that EVERY SOUL is precious and cannot afford to be lost. In the true spirit of Christ let us take today to forgive and pray for those who have wronged us.
