Love Your Enemies

There is so much hate in the world, jealousy, envy, and the like. People that can't feel good about another person's success. The Bible teaches us about struggles with people. The first brothers, Cain and Abel had struggles. Cain was a hater and killed his brother because of that hate. "And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.(Genesis 4:8 KJV)." Jealousy and envy aren't worth it.

Each one of us has a unique gift and calling for a specific purpose in the world. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.(Ephesians 2:10 KJV)." If we hold true to our God Purpose, we will be celebrated not only by people but by God himself. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3-4 KJV)." Let's not limit God's favor on our on lives, be a person that congratulates others. Let's celebrate our brothers and sisters and stop hating. Let's encourage them, support them, and be there for them. We never know when our time will come and we will want someone to celebrate us.
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Now there may be times when it seems that people aren't celebrating you. Maybe they even start to treat you different or are mad at you for no reason. I remember when I graduated from UCLA. I had a particular person who started acting really different in a negative way towards me. Actually, that person refused to come to my graduation dinner. Later on, that person confessed that they had been a jerk because they were jealous. They saw me progressing and they started to evaluate their own life against my success. We all have an opportunity to apply ourselves. If a person is doing good and those around them are angry about it, maybe God would help things to move forward, maybe God would open doors, if they were to change their heart and learn to support someone other than themselves. I know we all wait for different things and sometimes, though we don't like to admit it, it shakes us to see someone getting the very thing we are waiting for. Sometimes we ask God "What about me?" When I wanted a husband for example, I started seeing everybody getting married. Even the dogs and cats were getting married. Of course that's crazy. But the point is, this is where we have to keep our eyes on Jesus and on heavenly things. Our time will come. For some of us that time is around the corner, for others, it's down the street and for some it's right now. Pray that people will have peace when it comes to another's success. Pray that people will have peace when it comes to your success. Because in reality, we all are worth seeing our dreams and desires become a reality.

Here's a prayer poem for you if you've ever struggled with people who act different or know someone struggling with people who are acting different. I titled it, "Lord, Transform Them." Pray for those who are against you. Love your enemies.

 "Lord, Transform Them ."
They see success and they hate
They congratulate but they fake
Just look at their posture
And the faces they make
 But when it's their time
There's always a twist
They want you around
To add to their list
With their list of fake friends
They go home feeling empty
They could celebrate another
But their hoorah's kinda skimpy
Did they not ever hear King Solomon
That two is better than one
That iron sharpens iron
Lord,
Give them transformation
So that they can rise above
The clichés of hate
So that they can Congratulate
And not be fake
Let their hand claps become real
Let their smiles become genuine
Let their words become honest
Let them become authentic fans
Lord, I know that they will hate,
You said it in your Word
And I know that all this hate
Will only make me
bet - ter
But I'd much rather have them
To be on my team
So Lord,
Please stop them from hating on me.
​In Jesus name, Amen.

-by Lakisha B.