How do you love you enemy?

Answer 1

pray for God to bless them tredmendously and really mean it.

Answer 2

Think of love as putting someone's needs above your own.
It's when you stop hating or retaliating and you turn around and give the "soft answer that turns away wrath"

Ever notice when you are angry and ask a question and someone answers in a way that is non-judgmental? You calm down and typically don't find that person is worthy of an attack any more.

You love an enemy by returning good for the evil they have done. Here's an example. These two people were feuding about a property line and the driveway for the 2nd person was mistakenly put on the first person's property, but with the tree line in the country, moving the driveway was not possible. WIthout that driveway the person of the 2nd property had difficulty getting to their house from the road - they would literally have to go through a field. The first family would continually block the driveway by moving boulders onto the driveway entrance because it was on "their property and they didn't like the other family using their land. The 2nd family would take down the boulders only to have the first family put the boulders back. They continued to fight it out while it was waiting to be settled in the courts. The 2nd lady finally went out with a cup of water to the 1st lady while she was putting up the boulders because it was a hot day. They ended up resolving a lot of differences in the process, all because the first person could see that her enemy was a caring person. To me, that story reminds me of how the Bible shares about putting your gifts on the altar and being reconciled beforehand.

Answer 3

Matthew 5 - Love for Enemies
43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Answer 4

Put yourself in their shoes. Try to realize that they might have problems going on at home, which may cause the reason for them being your enemy. You just have to pray for those kind of people, that God will help them, so that they can turn their life around.

Answer 5

According to the bible, we are supposed to love our enemy, if this was possible, they wouldn' t be my enemy. . .now would they? For the life of me, I just can't. There are very few people I have completely written out of my life and the way I deal with them, is to act as if they don't exist. . . It is easy to write someone out of your life that has hurt you to your very core. . . I don't think about them in any shape, form or fashion. . .

Answer 6

It's a challenge, sometimes.
I've outlived mine, mostly.
It helped me a lot to forgive myself for being a human who makes mistakes. Then I could see others that way, too. Sometimes, It is easier to forgive others and go back to yourself with a new idea.
On a really challenging one, You might think about the love that is inside everything.
Remember one of the tenets of most religions is that god is love. love is god, too.
I think love (god=spirit=life=love) is everywhere, in everything and radiates out of the loving and kind actions of people.
If you allow yourself to gossip, hold grudges, be bitter, hate, tease, be angry, criticize or be sarcastic, any of those negative things, you are cutting off access to love, not just to you, and your enemy but to everyone.
I believe the highest function of a human being is to channel love into the world through their thoughts, actions, intentions,
every way possible. It is the only work worthy of the "being" part of human being.
It is a huge undertaking- a choice made every second of every day.
It is huge, but it is worth attempting, even if we are doomed to failure.It's the only way to BE the changes we need in our world (like Gandhi said.)
There is a certain person I know that just sets me on edge. I get panicky, just being near him, hearing his voice. I stay away from him as much as possible.
At a distance, I examine why he pushes that button.
I feel he is arrogant, dismissive, disrespectful. I don't respect his (lack of ) intellect or morals. His wife is a big dumb ox who worships him like a puppy.
What is that all about?
Upon reflection, I see I am guilty of all that and more in respect to him. I even worship my husband like a puppy.
It is like looking in a mirror and going "eeewwww."
I need to FIX ME and then revisit the situation.
it is another challenge to love terrorists who are trying desparately to murder all of us. I have to work on that one. Praying for their change of heart is about all I can do right now.

Answer 7

It is not always nesscary to love your enemy but you can tolerate and try to understand them.Think about this persons background and there childhood and most importantly that they could be scarred and desperatley unhappy,theres not many excuses for bad behaviour but there are reasons.If you cannot do this then avoid this person and at least try to forgive them even if its only in your head

Answer 8

Well, by being patient, and kind towards them. By not boasting in front of them or being arragont in front of them. Love can be an action (apart from being an emotion). Choose to act the "right" way towards people. Hopefully the emotion will follow.

Answer 9

Well if he is a true enemy give him a burst from a M16. If he just pissed you off show him some love.

Answer 10

By keeping away from the person and allowing them to continue breathing my oxygen even though their a total waist of life unworthy of even being acknowledged as a human being.

Answer 11

at a simple level, in modern terms, that means "if your enemy has been hit in a drive by, call 911 for them... don't just watch them die"