Who are my Enemies?

"O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

Get out of my life, you murderers!

They blaspheme you;

your enemies misuse your name.

O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you?

Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you?

Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

for your enemies are my enemies."

Psalm 139:19-22

It's easy for me to think of people as my enemies.  After all, I'm human and people often rub me the wrong way, sometimes speaking out against me, or defying my plans, or seeming to rue my happiness and success.  Can't I catch a break here?  So I label people as enemies, but most of the time I'm off in my thinking.  

How did David think?  Who did he label as his enemy?

Speech.  "Keep Calm and Ignore Haters."  I see it in social media outlets all the time.  One group speaks out against the actions of another group. Or the attacks are personal, one person giving negative feedback to another.  The attacked ones circle the wagons and take their defensive positions, calling on their comrades to ignore the "haters" and press on.  Little notice is given to the intent of the speaker or the message found therein.  Instead, the stance is taken that if anyone speaks against me, they are my enemy and their influence should be removed from my life.

David had a different idea of who his enemies were.  Instead of focusing on his own feelings, reputation or success, his attentions were geared toward God and His status.  Speak out against me, that's okay.  Say something disrespectful of my God, game on!  Not that I'm ready to fight a battle because that would be a fight I could never win.  But I must stop thinking of those who say a negative word against me as my enemies.  God might be using them to humble me, or to deliver a message to me, or to give me a chance to show grace.  It's time to remove the label "hater" from my vocabulary and only concern myself with the fame of God's name. 

I can consider those who curse God's name and speak out against Him as my enemy, and let the love of Jesus flow into their lives (Matthew 5:44).

Defiance.  I have my own ideas of how life should be lived, what is important and what is not, which causes are worthwhile and which are fluff.  It could be that animal rights are high up on my list of importance so if anyone has a different way of thinking and finds themselves standing in my way, I label them as my enemy.  Or I'm all worked up about saving the earth and slowing global warming.  If someone else doesn't have the same sense of urgency as I, thus holding up progress toward a cleaner atmosphere, I've gained a new adversary.  Or I find myself looking for ways to curb the global population explosion, believing it is vital to limit family size in order to prevent future suffering.  If some don't agree, failing to heed my warnings, I remove myself from their list of friends.

David didn't waste his time making enemies of those who didn't agree with him.  Instead, He focused on those who rose up against God's best for His people.  I can do the same, seeing the enemy as the one who causes suffering for the vulnerable, who rises up against God's will for His creation, or whose hatred for God is evident in the way they defy Him.  It's time I stop worrying about those who don't agree with me and think about who doesn't agree with God.

I can consider those who defy God and His ways as my enemy, and start praying fervently for them.

Work.  She had it out for her, or so it seemed.  No matter how hard this woman tried to make something good out of her life, this former friend was there to destroy her efforts.  She was actively working against her plans, seeking to stop anything good from coming out of her life.  This kind of opposition seems like enemy material to me.

David had a different way of looking at things.  While he long had people who sought out his destruction, it was those who actively opposed God that he considered as his enemy.  My true enemy is the one who tries to stop the good that God is doing, who works against what He is bringing about all around me, who resists His good plan.  Thankfully, there is no match for God, and He can fight this battle without my help.  He is not at all worried or threatened by the opposition of man, so I need not be either.

I can consider those who work against God as my enemy, and look for ways to overcome evil with good (Proverbs 25:21-22, Romans 12:21).

While it's easy for me to think of those who speak negatively about me, or defy my will, or work against my plans as my enemy when it's really those who do so against God who earn that label.  Even so, as a follower of Christ who is filled with His Spirit, I'm called to love these enemies, pray for them, and overcome their evil with good. 

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to not take offense at every stray word spoken against me.

When am I hypersensitive, focused on defending my choices and lifestyle?

How could I pay more attention to God's choice and will for my life?