But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Love your enemies? That is a difficult thing to do. It is our nature to be angry and even hate our enemies, but Jesus tells us to love them. Not only love them but pray for them also.
When I divorced my first husband, I could not imagine ever loving him again, or praying for him. I was just thankful to be out of an abusive situation. I did not even want to think about him, much less what he had done to me. I held on to that anger and hurt for several years. One day a friend helped me to see that holding on to all of that was hurting me more than I realized. This friend reminded me of Jesus’ words “Love Your Enemies.”
My friend suggested I sit down and write a letter to my ex. A letter not for me to send, but to help me get past the pain. She suggested that I write down all the reasons I was so angry at him, and to then release all those things to God.
Writing that letter and turning all of it over to God, helped me so much. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and my heart. As I wrote the letter, I felt God showing me ways He was always with me. God reminded me of the people He sent into my life to help me though the situation. God placed on my heart to forgive my ex and to pray for him. It was not easy at first, but I did it. Praying for my ex helped me to see him in a different light. It helped me to understand him a little better, to see him as a child of God.
Lee Ann Simpson, Administrative Assistant Asbury Campus
