Bless those who curse you
“Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who have hurt you.” -Luke 6:28
Have you ever had an enemy? It could be someone with whom you have had a fight, someone who has wronged you, or it could even be a former friend or long-lost relative. Although the enemy became the enemy, Jesus taught us that we are to bless our enemies, praying for those who have hurt us. (Matthew 5:44)
It’s easy to say it’s done. Often, if there has been abuse, it is difficult to think about that person and even more difficult to forgive. But, we must forgive them – because as Jesus said, “…if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15)
One night I was walking home from the gym with my mom, because she was visiting from out of town. Suddenly, a dog ran past us, and (BAM!) I didn’t have time to stop. My first concern was for the dog, as I thought for sure he would be lying either dead on the side of the road or in need of emergency care. But as soon as I went to the place from where the dog had come, he was roaming here and there, as if nothing had happened. As I started walking, I looked at the dog’s owner and asked, “Is your dog okay?” To which he replied, “That sounds fine to me!” “Okay,” I said. I couldn’t see any damage to my car in the dark, so I drove home a little nervous.
When I got home I told my husband what had happened and he came out to look at my car. The car had a chip on the top of its right wheel, where I had hit the dog. I started wondering what had happened. In our county it is illegal to walk a dog in a neighborhood without a leash. So, my husband and I decided to go to the man’s house and talk to him about the situation.
When we reached there, the dog’s owner was sitting inside the garage smoking. When we walked up, he welcomed us and was very nice. We explained the situation to him and showed him the damage, and he immediately said, “I’d be happy to compensate.” I was very happy. I didn’t want this to turn into a big conflict.
A few days later I got an estimate to repair my car and dropped it off at their door with a note as they said. Several minutes later he called my phone and left a message that read, “It was your fault you hit my dog. My lawyer said it was your fault, so I’m not paying for it.” At that time, we became enemies. I called him back and asked him if he knew about the county leash laws. He said he was but he was not responsible. I told him that because of his irresponsibility, me and my mother could have been seriously injured, upon which he hung up the phone.
I was so mad! It made me even more upset that this whole situation was taking up so much time because of all this drama. But, eventually, I got over it – I let it go. I just hoped that his dog would not be left outside again so that no more incidents would happen to us.
One day, I drove by and remembered the situation, and remembered the scripture, “Pray for your enemies – bless those who curse you.” So I prayed that God would bless him. Wouldn’t you know it, two weeks later, a “For Rent” sign appeared on the lawn. He was gone! I definitely felt a lot safer.
Do you pray for your enemies? Do you bless those who curse you? Ask God to help you bless your enemies today.
