It is universally agreed that one of the most challenging things
to administer is love to your enemies. Many people dismiss this because they
find it impractical, difficult, or downright impossible to follow. Here are some
practical tips:
1.
Sincerely apologize - You must
apologize sincerely for your part of the dispute (even if you feel like you are
not at fault). You must take full responsibility for it.
“You have
enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your
life.” (Winston Churchill)
2.
Forgive the person - If you persevere
and maintain an attitude of forgiveness toward them, they will eventually
respond to your desire for reconciliation and peace.
“It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the
one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The
other is mere business.” (Gandhi)
3.
Focus on their good qualities - Do your best to
step outside of your current situation. You will be able to focus eventually
for their positive qualities soon.
“I hate
admitting that my enemies have a point.” (Salman Rushdie,
author of The Satanic
Verses)
4.
Speak well of them resist the urge to gossip - Gossiping
about others comes so easily to us that it takes a superhuman effort to resist
doing it. When you speak about your enemy to others, speak well of them.
“If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your
enemies.” (Desmond Tutu)
5.
Discover what you share in common - Exploring
shared interests (or hobbies) is a great way to connect with your would-be
friend (your enemy). Get them to talk about themselves, and their interests.
“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger
for bread.” (Mother
Teresa)
6. Pray for your Enemies - The idea is to create a time that you
intentionally pray individually for your enemy (electronically or manually).
Ask God to bless them, give them wisdom, and draw them to Himself.
Your heart has to change toward your enemy, and only God can do that.
“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.” Matthew 5:44 (AKJV)
7.
Offer help (if they are clearly in some need) - We
often ignore the ways our enemies struggle. By opening your eyes and seeing
life from their point of view, you will discover opportunities to meet some
need they might have.
“Faith activates
God. Fear activates the Enemy.” (Joel
Osteen)
8.
Love the person - We think it’s impossible to love our
enemies because we misunderstand the nature of love. It is not a thing that
flows effortlessly without sacrifice. True love is a conscious decision,
requires effort. [i]
“And God said, “Love your
enemy.” I obeyed Him, and loved myself.” (Khalil Gibran)
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only
light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
No comments:
Post a Comment