Comments on: I Can Have Enemies https://www.northwestleader.com/2013/can-enemies/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:33:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Brian Dolleman https://www.northwestleader.com/2013/can-enemies/#comment-8121 Brian Dolleman Wed, 27 Nov 2013 19:40:03 +0000 http://www.northwestleader.com/?p=3639#comment-8121 Thank you Danielle – when you said “PS, your post kinda really look like Jesus” I got a little misty-eyed.

]]> By: Danielle Pridgen https://www.northwestleader.com/2013/can-enemies/#comment-8119 Danielle Pridgen Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:19:28 +0000 http://www.northwestleader.com/?p=3639#comment-8119 Wow, I absolutely love this!! I have never thought about it in these terms before. Friends, family and neighbors. I guess I assumed that even if I didn’t want to be enemies, that the other person had chosen it, so until we became “friends,” we were still considered “enemies.” I am their “enemy,” and they are my, “persecuter who I have to try to love, even though they bring the rage out in me.” I guess I tried to fit that idea into the, “love your enemy,” philosophy, yet still label them as “enemy.” But that gets kinda confusing deciding how to Love an “enemy”… It’s doesn’t feel like “love.” It feels more like a task of disciplining my reactions to them, and aiming for the unattainable harmonious relationship that we will probably never have. And I guess I spent more time wondering over the details of how to forgive them correctly, pray for them to be blessed- and trying to select which blessings they need in my opinion. Wouldn’t want to waste my breath and accidentally pray for something that will allow them more leverage against me in the future.. This is what I mean..

::self talk::

“I am supposed to pray for their blessing. But I don’t think I want *god* to grant a prayer for material blessings for THEM… We all see what they do with their money now, and we wouldn’t want them to have lots of funding for their wicked plans.. Ok, so money is out. I can pray for… Wisdom… But then they might…”

And it goes on and on… Always holding to the “form” of loving my enemy, but probably missing a lot of the “function.” It seemed good enough though, in comparison to my friends who outrightly HATED their enemies. Hey, at least I’m thinking about how to pray for them. At least I’m not openly cursing them…

But, to tell the truth, it’s never really been good enough on a Soul level. The things I just read in your post are most definitely going to change the way I do things, and I’m sure it will help the process of maybe eventually having a harmonious relationship with this person. Thank you so much for this post! I feel like its a real gem, a pearl of great price, ya know what I’m saying? One of those great bits of wisdom I can tuck away, and it will truly come in handy the next time I’m in need of some neighborly love. Life’s too short to keep a neighbor as an enemy anyways. This will help me so much, thank you, a million thank you’s :-)

(P.s. ^ your post kinda really looks like Jesus)

]]> By: shari https://www.northwestleader.com/2013/can-enemies/#comment-8118 shari Wed, 27 Nov 2013 16:12:50 +0000 http://www.northwestleader.com/?p=3639#comment-8118 Determined to identify more people as friends today. Thanks Brian!

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