Christians:Is It Possible to Love Your Enemy?

[ChristineES]

This question is mainly for Christians, but anyone else can answer,too, if they want to.

Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who harm them and persecute them. I am wondering if you find this possible to do. (for non-Christians, can you love your enemy?)

I admit I find it hard at times but once I start praying for my enemies it becomes easier. I am not just talking about Bin Laden or whatever but people who seem hostile that I have encountered.
:shout

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

I have been able to pray for my enemies, and overcome my bitterness and utter disguist. For me, when I prayed for someone I was angry with, it literally felt like a weight was lifted off of my heart. When I saw them agian, I was able to be "Christ-like" and mean it from the inside out, showing love for them. Of course, this did not take away my honesty, but it softened my whole attitude, outlook, and approach into a definate loving one.

I have never been able to accomplish this without praying about it. I absolutely refuse to "play/pretend nice," and try to never say or do things I don't mean and won't stand by.

Now I have had a time or two where I was so dumbfounded by something so evil someone did, I could not bring myself to pray for them. I had no desire to attempt to feel love for them. I know that sounds horrible. I prayed for myself and the victim of the evil instead. :run:

So with that said, I think sometimes a person can and sometimes, depending on the situation, they might be unable. After all we are only human.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Yes, it is hard. The only way to love your enemies is to live the sacrificial life. That is, either let them be satisfied with beating you without resistance (if they have a conscience) or let them kill you (if they don't). It's a high calling that few of us will accept.

 

[Francine]

It is possible to love your enemy, just as it is possible to give up all your possessions and follow Jesus, and equally rare.

 

[credance]

Who are my enemies?
People I have let wrong me? No
I live a very simple live compared to what I hear is happening.
I have never had an enemy who shed the blood of a loved one.
If someone representing a group, or gang hurt one of my loved ones in a deliberate act of lawlessness they would probably become my enemy.
Forgiveness and resolution is the message.
"Vengeance is Mine saith the Lord".
Vengeance is the continuation of violence.

 

[Hope]

The only way to love your enemies is with agape love, which is God's love. This love is unconditional, and has very little to do with one's feelings. You can be justifiably angry at someone over their wrong actions, you can even feel a great dislike for them personally, and, yet, still love them. Jesus didn't mean we had to like our enemies, or feel warm, fuzzy feelings towards them----He simply meant that we should intentionally love them, by choosing to forgive them and treat them with kindness and respect and not return their evil with like evil. It's called "heaping coals on their heads."

 

[TrueBlue2]

For me, it is the most difficult of all the commandments. Probably the best I can say is "I don't hate my enemies."

 

[Katzpur]

This question is mainly for Christians, but anyone else can answer,too, if they want to.

Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who harm them and persecute them. I am wondering if you find this possible to do. (for non-Christians, can you love your enemy?)

I admit I find it hard at times but once I start praying for my enemies it becomes easier. I am not just talking about Bin Laden or whatever but people who seem hostile that I have encountered.
:shout

I'm sure it's possible, and it's definitely something we should be doing. Sadly, it's not something at which I've been successful. I am generally find it quite easy to forgive when I am wronged -- provided the person who has wronged me is willing to apologize. I know we're supposed to forgive everyone, though, regardless of whether they're repentent or not. That is SOOOO hard for me.

 

[Ratiocinative]

Yes, it is hard. The only way to love your enemies is to live the sacrificial life. That is, either let them be satisfied with beating you without resistance (if they have a conscience) or let them kill you (if they don't). It's a high calling that few of us will accept.

There is nothing wrong with self defense, and when you have a family you're expected to defend them. Loving your enemy means that you don't refuse to help them when they need it, even if they've treated you badly in the past. Loving your enemy does not mean that you no longer defend yourself against them. If someone attacks you you're free to give them a good beating. Of course you need to exercise judgement and not use excessive force, but if your life is threatened and you kill them in self-defense you have nothing to feel guilty about.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

This question is mainly for Christians, but anyone else can answer,too, if they want to.

Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who harm them and persecute them. I am wondering if you find this possible to do. (for non-Christians, can you love your enemy?)

I admit I find it hard at times but once I start praying for my enemies it becomes easier. I am not just talking about Bin Laden or whatever but people who seem hostile that I have encountered.
:shout

It's not that hard. Your enemies do not require anything from you in order for them to be your enemy. It absolves you of reciprocity.

 

[Godfather89]

You can only love your enemy when you put your own ego aside and being willing to make peace with them.

Let it also be known that his teachings show that to show someone else how much you care for them you need to shake them around and get their attention. You see in human evolution there are two ways to describe response to unjust violence either fight or flight. Jesus offers the third new alternative called nonviolent resistance ... When Christ says to "Love Our Enemies" it is metaphorical and again sometimes to show love to your enemies is to make them uncomfortable with the actions they do to you. This puts the power in your hands even when they think it is in their. So when you bless your enemy even try to become friends with him you become a peacemaker and you catch the enemy off guard. This love does something good for them. Love for your enemy can be attributed to a tough love such as teaching a lesson without doing so vengefully. By making them come to terms with what they did they will seek forgiveness and even friendship from you.

 

[OMGelka]

This question is mainly for Christians, but anyone else can answer,too, if they want to.

Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who harm them and persecute them. I am wondering if you find this possible to do. (for non-Christians, can you love your enemy?)

I admit I find it hard at times but once I start praying for my enemies it becomes easier. I am not just talking about Bin Laden or whatever but people who seem hostile that I have encountered.
:shout

I would ask of the christian community to start their love with homosexuals, as homosexual civil unions(the legal recognition of a couple, which provides them the rights of a married couple, i.e. their partner inherits their estate when they die, etc.) seems to be quite the issue among the republican party this year. i was a bit surprised when i saw how against it, the christian community was.

 

[ChristineES]

You needn't worry about me, I am not against legal civil unions at all. They would not effect me in the least.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I would ask of the christian community to start their love with homosexuals, as homosexual civil unions(the legal recognition of a couple, which provides them the rights of a married couple, i.e. their partner inherits their estate when they die, etc.) seems to be quite the issue among the republican party this year. i was a bit surprised when i saw how against it, the christian community was.

Loving a sinner is different than sanctioning their activity. It is unseemly, in my view, to select one particular sin, though, and and crusade so vociferously against it. Perhaps pornographic participation by those in the pulpit would be a more suitable and appropriate crusade.

 

[Yeshua_Lives]

It is essential for people to pray for their enemies. For Yeshua (Jesus pbuh) often prays for his enemies. He stands for good will toward others. His enemies would be those who oppose good will toward others. It is essential that people pray for those people who oppose good will toward others.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Kill them with kindness. The more loving and forgiving you are, the more revenge the Lord will apply to them. Revenge is mine said the Lord.

I am absolutely sure the Lord would not approve of homophobia either. We should treat everyone with kindness and understanding. Welcoming Gays and Lesbians any time you encounter them should be expected of a Christian.

Love the sinner hate the sin is the Christian mantra. We are not required to support same sex marriage, but railing against it is unchristian in my opinion.

 

[Sunstone]

It is essential for people to pray for their enemies. For Yeshua (Jesus pbuh) often prays for his enemies. He stands for good will toward others. His enemies would be those who oppose good will toward others. It is essential that people pray for those people who oppose good will toward others.

Pray for Pat Robertson, then.

 

[Sunstone]

I think loving your enemies is more or less a matter of realizing there's more to people than whether they are or are not your enemies.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I think loving your enemies is more or less a matter of realizing there's more to people than whether they are or are not your enemies.

I believe it has a lot to do with what hate does to one's self as well.

 

[Yeshua_Lives]

Pray for Pat Robertson, then.

Better yet, Pray for the corrupt people. Pray that they may rid themselves of corruption.