“Enemies Turned Into Friends”

Love your enemies bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44)

“The woman I have in mind had a tremendous negative influence in one of my churches. She was a master at trouble-making. She could agitate a whispering campaign and manufacture a false rumor any time the unholy impulse seized her. From the outset she had shown no goodwill toward me. And I found it well-nigh impossible to Love her. It was like trying to Love Satan’s most talented daughter. She never failed to join the opposition whenever any administrative matters came up. She was a confirmed pessimist, according to her own proudly given testimony.

“Sometimes, after a service, I would say to her, ‘My, what a wonderful congregation we had this morning,’ and she would reply, ‘Yes, but what about the 200 who didn’t come?’ One day I suddenly realized that I was pretty well under this woman’s control. My ideal of Christian Love was at stake. For I had unwittingly gotten into the habit of reacting negatively against her, and Christian Love commanded me to respond to God for her. Right at this point I made a decision. I would come out from under her control and put myself under God’s control. For her evil I would return good. For her lack of Love I would give Love. I would practice holy affection toward her at all times. And I would do it secretly. It was nearing the end of December. So I decided that during January I would make her my special Love and prayer project.”

One of the best authorities has assured us that Love never fails. I began to Love her. It was a sort of long-distance method, a kind of absent treatment, and many times a day I would pray for her. Too, I would think of as many good things about her as I could. I put myself under firm discipline, checking my negative reactions instantly, and putting some¬ thing positive in their place. I banked on Paul’s words of advice: ‘Whatsoever things are good, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” So it was that the month slipped away.

“In this process something mighty good was happening to me. How the actual living of Christian Love takes hold to change personality and character! How steadily the practice turns the theory into facts, living attitudes, and new habits of thought and conduct! I found myself Loving this erstwhile enemy in a way I had never felt the holy glow before. What began as a mere intellectual effort at Love was now the feeling: the imitation had become the reality. Just to think of her now set my heart to burning. My enemy was turning me into a Christian, as a dam turns a river into power. For my Love was like a river flowing, devoid of all self-effort. It was strangely beautiful and bewilderingly simple to see the immeasurable good in her. She was my friend in exile, a child of God, even as I, and she was equally Loved by Jesus.”

“Love never fails. Before the month was over she, too, was changed. “The woman began first to shake hands with people, to smile upon them, and to greet them warmly at our services. The people were surprised at the change in her and commented on it. After a Sunday service I said to her, ‘What a shame it started raining as people were getting ready for church, for it has cut our attendance in half.’ She replied, ‘We should thank God for all those who did come.’ Within six weeks she had become a living testimony in our church, influencing others redemptively by her Christian example. People would say: ‘What has come over her? Her very presence makes me feel clean inside.’ Yes, by the cleansing power of God’s Love, she became a walking influence for good. It seemed that she had fallen in Love with Jesus all over again.” - as narrated by Rev. Roalnd J. Brown