How to Find the Purpose in Your Pain: Loving Your Enemies
Have you ever asked God, “Lord, why am I going through this?” Have you ever wondered, “Will I ever heal from this pain?” We all have moments where we go through pain. However, rarely do we get to experience the purpose behind the trial and the blessing behind the mess. My new e-book, How to Find the Purpose in Your Pain, will teach you how to find purpose in the deepest areas of trauma and hurt in your life so you can learn how to find the hidden good behind your greatest struggles.
Can I be transparent for a moment?
As I navigate post-divorce life with someone who worked overtime to hurt me, I find it amazing that God uses my love for them to heal me.
Through the power of prayer, as I make intentional strides to love the person who causes me pain, I find that God sets me free of the hurtful bondage that they brought into my life.
This is because intercession is a powerful tool. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to genuinely pray well for someone who doesn’t mean you well. Yet, it is through my obedient prayers that I’m finding God rewards me with healing and His peace.
Have you ever had someone who just didn’t like you and you couldn’t figure out why?
Or…maybe you’ve had an enemy who doesn’t like you and you know exactly why.
Either way, enemies can be exhausting.
We don’t like to interact with them and just the sight of them leaves us feeling cringy inside.
But, here’s the truth: how we treat our enemies should show us more about who we are than who they are.
God uses our enemies to cause us to humble ourselves because the Kingdom of God honors humility.
When we humble ourselves by loving those who desire to hurt us, we open a supernatural door that permits God to exalt us because of our humility.
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Matthew 23:12
Instead of seeing our enemies as a hindrance, we must see them as an opportunity for the Lord to bless and exalt us because of how we choose to treat them. I share more about this in my YouTube video here.
However, it’s also important to note that the purpose of an enemy isn’t simply for God to advance us naturally. An enemy’s purpose isn’t for you to humble yourself so that God can exalt you for your selfish motives.
As I share in this YouTube video, we must see all of our pain from the perspective of God’s purpose. When we understand His purpose for our pain, we realize the greater purpose of an enemy is for us to learn to love others as Christ has loved us.
Enemies cause frustration and aggravation. However, if we can be honest with ourselves, there are times when we have caused God pain, frustration, and aggravation, too.
Yet, He still loved us in our wicked ways.
As we look at our enemies as an opportunity to love like Christ, we find deeper intimacy with God.
We aren’t the only ones who benefit from loving our enemies. As we seek to love people how He loves them, our closeness with God also becomes more real to others.
Our unsaved family and friends don’t really care how much scripture we throw at them. However, when unbelievers see us love those who hate us, the true nature of God’s love becomes more real to them through our obedience.
In essence, anyone can love someone who loves them. However, God’s love chooses to love those who don’t love Him back.
This is why Luke 6 states:
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Have you ever had someone who didn’t like you? What are your tips for loving your enemies? Comment below and let me know how that situation turned out for you.
Love,
