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Faith. Purpose. Relevance. |
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What do these persons have in common: Joseph, David, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? They were great men who either got to greatness or else wrought works of greatness by the action of their enemies. This month we’ll be talking about those people that we really don’t want to talk about – our ENEMIES. Those persons whom we have come to see as sources of frustration, bitterness, strife, and so on. People that we seriously think we can do without, we feel our lives will be much better if they don’t exist. However, I have not come to dish you the typical Love Your Enemy sermon; neither am I come to preach that Vengeance is Mine saith the Lord; (as a school boy that was one biblical instruction I struggled with; considering that my "enemies" then were classmates who would insult my parents and beat me blue-black if I protested). I believe that the key to 1 John 5:3 which says His commandments are not grievous is an understanding of the mechanisms or the principles of whatever that command may be. So in this light we’re going to take an objective look at the position or role of an enemy and deliberating on reasons why we should take them seriously. LANDMINES OR GOLDMINES? Firstly, Your enemy bring out what’s deep inside you – the negative part of you that you never knew (or admitted) existed. Here’s an analogy: if you haul a stone straight into a building, whatever’s inside will reveal itself. It may be loud barking from a dog or the voice of a guard, or the main occupant themselves. Now, for instance, no matter how hard or how long you throw stones into my house you’ll never hear the bark of a dog: reason? There’re no dogs in my house. Understand that the stone thrown into the building does not create the dog, (or the guard as the case may be), but they only instigate what’s inside the house to act. Our enemies draw out what is deep inside us. This is probably why we detest them so much. They show us despite our perceived saintliness that we are capable of anger, disgust, frustration, malice, even hatred. Let’s put it this way, a Christian will go about looking sweet, singing angelic songs and looking holy enough for Mother Theresa to blush... until they meet their enemy; then the halo slips off, making him realize it’s time for a spiritual checkup. Your enemies magnify your achievements; (because they bring out both the bad and the gold in you.) -Noah was not so much a man of faith for building an ark in a time in history where there was no such thing as rain as for building it in the presence of his scorners. Abram would be just as much a faith-talker as most Christians are today if the new name -Abraham, (father of nations), was used by his wife alone. -the story of Nehemiah’s re-building of the wall of Jerusalem is legendary not because of the wall but because of the opposition to the building of it. Your enemy can open the door to your promotion. It happened to Mordecai in the book of Esther; it happened to Daniel, it happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Your enemy provides opportunity for your God to be glorified. (Daniel 6). 4 VITAL TRUTHS ABOUT YOUR ENEMY Truth 1: Your present enemy may be a minor representation of a future opponent, or obstacle. Lions and bears made shepherd work unbearable for David, but they flexed both his mental and physical muscles enough to make him dare Goliath. You are likely to handle the real thing if you faired well with a lesser form of it. That’s what I call the vaccine principle. Truth 2: The Size Of Our Enemies Is Indicative Of Our Position. If I’m not sure what weight category a boxer is I just simply check his opponent’s weight. A few of us still have babyish enemies, (the gossip around the corner, the guy who insulted you the other day, your sibling who always shines over you, that lady who wouldn’t greet you...) When King David was stoned and cursed by Shimei in 2 Samuel 16:5-14, he did not as much as look at him let alone challenge him. Why? Because the king of Israel, who was also "a man of war", cannot take as an opponent, a mere disgruntled civilian – it was simply beneath him. I dare you to upgrade your enemy base. There was a time when young David’s brothers opposed him; he killed Goliath, then it was the King who opposed him. Note this down, You become an honorary member of the millionaires club the day a millionaire starts losing sleep over your progress. (Regardless of what’s in your bank account at the moment.) Truth 3: Your Enemy Sees You from a Unique Perspective – a fact that we easily miss. Nobody understands the weakness of a team than the coach of the opposing team. Some Managers hire consultants to come point out the weaknesses of a firm. Your enemy does that for you free-of-charge, and they put their whole effort to it, the problem is that they don’t show us their findings, (at least directly). Hold up a handiwork of yours and assume it in the hand of a scorner; how many flaws did you notice? Plenty, I suppose. Remember, only your enemy can tell you that your mouth stinks; he may mean ill, but he tells you what your friends were too polite to say. So rather than sulk, thank God for them. Truth 4: Your Enemy Plays a Role in Your Destiny. Where would Joseph be without his brothers? How about if David had no Goliath? And Judas? Well Jesus called him "friend", didn’t he? Was it plain sarcasm or deep understanding? Whether we like it or not, an enemy may be what God will use to move us into certain positions in our destiny. Wow Greg, you really are from another planet - talking about enemies like that. In a manner of speaking, you are right; but then so are you. In John 15:19 Jesus said to his disciples, ye are not of the world. Later he said in John 17:14, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world; and again in John 17:16, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I’ll close with a paraphrase of Matthew 5:43, You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies’. But with all that you now know about your enemies, wouldn’t that be just foolish? God Bless.
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