"What is Love?" Bible Study
Week 7:
"When Your Enemy Falls"
Verse this week: 1 Corinthians 13:6 It (love) does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
*************************************** Ok, so--- who are your enemies?
Wow, we just got into that didn't we?
Notebook Question (one of the few in today's post): Take a few minutes to think about your enemies-- or people you just don't like very much or as much as other people. You don't have to 'hate' them for them to be your enemy. You just have to not like them very much. Write down who that is (and if you don't want evidence written down-- use some sort of word so you can remember that person).
You might be saying, "But Kelly! I don't have any enemies. I don't dislike anyone! I have no Darth Vaders in my life." Then I'd say, you should be put up for sainthood ;)
BUT, if you really honestly and truly can't think of anyone you dislike, picture someone from an opposing political party-- or an actor who's beliefs don't co-inside with your own-- or the last person who kinda raised their nose to you at the store--- if you try hard enough, you can think of someone you don't like very much (right now, it might be me for making you do all of this ;) )
Now that I have you good and mad at someone (sorry about that), lets get on with this week's lesson.
Think about the person you have set aside as "your enemy"-- how would you feel if something bad happened to him/her?
(Kinda hurts your heart, doesn't it? It does mine.)
Lets pretend that the 'bad thing' wasn't death or an injury, but maybe a lost job or a repossessed car. Would your first thought be, "Oh that's awful!" or "They so deserved that!!"
Really consider your answer because it is only between you and God (and God already knows anyway). I'm not going to ask you to share or name names-- But you need to be honest with yourself. We can't grow if we aren't honest.
Now that I've gotten your emotions all over the place, lets see what the Bible says about this...
1 Corinthians 13:6-- says "love" doesn't rejoice in injustice.
That means if you "love" you aren't glad when your enemy hurts--- even if "they deserve it".
Look back at your homework for this week. Thursday's verse was from James 4:12-- God alone, who gave the law is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Ah, that James. Always straight to the point (love that book!)
God is the judge of everyone-- we're not. It's not up to us to decide "what they deserve".
We don't know the person's heart, their past, their future, or their circumstances-- and even if we DID, it's not our job to judge. It is our job to love everyone (like Paul said) and let God do the judging.
Only God knows what is going on in our enemy's life-- in his/her heart-- and God will judge them-- but here is the kicker-- God will judge *us* too.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to "Love Thy Neighbor." And that encompassed all other commandments. If we love others, we won't covet what they have-- won't lie to them-- won't kill them-- etc.
This begs the question, who are our neighbors? I think we have covered this before, but really, who are our neighbors?
Your neighbor is anyone and everyone. Period. Your neighbor is the person next door--- down the street--- across town-- across the country--- on the other side of the world...
And yes... our neighbor is someone we don't like that well.
Notebook question: What would have happened if Jesus didn't love everyone? What if he said, "You know, you really get under my skin! I don't like you and I refuse to forgive you of your sins."
Personally, that would be horrible.
But don't we do the same thing? If we have someone that has really done us wrong (like really done something bad), do we with hold our forgiveness?
Sometimes 'hate' is a minor annoyance (like a co-worker who gets everything or so it seems). Sometimes its someone who has hurt our family (like someone who has murdered someone we love-- got kinda dark all of a sudden--)
I'm going to be VERY honest with you and say that it would be VERY hard to forgive someone for hurting any of my girls. It would NOT be easy. At. All.
But for the sake of our own souls, we have too forgive. From the big to the small... as hard as it is.
We can't be happy when they fail and when they "get what they deserve".
So--- what are we supposed to do?
Well, the ending of 1 Corinthians 13:6 says: "But rejoices whenever the truth wins out."
That means that the more you dislike someone, pray from them that much more. If you can't stand someone, pray for them-- and for yourself to stop feeling that way toward them.
Pray for their situation-- pray for them to come to God-- pray for your heart to soften toward them.
And rejoice when the truth (the truth that leads to their salvation) wins out.
Is that easy?
No way!
It's not easy to wish our enemy's well, but for our ownselves, we need too.
We don't have to like everyone we meet. No one ever said you had to like them--- just love them. However, it is much easier to love someone when you like them.
To sum up this week's verse: To love means to pray for our enemies-- not to rejoice in injustices-- be excited when the truth wins out... the truth about Jesus and his saving grace.
Hate in our heart can be a dangerous poison to our soul. Love does everything in its power to help encourage and share God's word. Love does NOT hurt, discourage, and share anger and a lust for revenge.
Notebook question: (Ok this isn't really a question--) Write down a prayer for your enemy or the person you dislike. A sincere, heartfelt prayer for them and for our own negative feels toward them.
Lets strive to relate to our enemies through love, not hate. Through understanding, not sarcasm or anger.
We would feel a whole lot better if we gave all of it to God. Weights on shoulders are never a good thing.
(I feel as thought I've either left you in a good place-- or a bad place. I hope it is a good one. Wouldn't it be awesome to not have that burden of disliking someone on your shoulders? I know it would for me :) )
Verses to get us ready for next week's post:
Tuesday-- Proverbs 10:12
Wednesday-- 1 Peter 4:8
Thursday-- James 5:19,20
Friday-- 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Saturday-- 1 Corinthians 13:7 (our verse for next Sunday) Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Much Love,
Kelly