Turning the Tables

Sheep Thoughts                       

Do you have an enemy? Someone who wishes you ill? Someone who’s chief intent, it seems, is to make your life hard? Someone who does all he can to set up obstacles to your forward progress? Someone whose main focus is to just generally foul up your life?

What if there was a foolproof way to turn that person and all his energy around so that at the very least, he wasn’t a factor anymore, and at the best, all his energy was working in your favor? There is a way. It's Love. I’m not talking about the ooey gooey feeling where you get all soft when you think of him. Anyway, that’s probably never going to happen. Who would want it to? We think love is a feeling, but real love is not an emotion, and can’t be judged by how we feel. It is an action, and it’s prompted by a decision.

So, how to implement this failure proof system? Because, right now, you’re thinking, “If it involves changing how I feel about the scumbag, I don’t want any part of it.” You’re getting the cart before the horse. Just change your actions and forget about changing your feelings.

Do this: On purpose, pray for the guy. Don’t pray that lightning will strike him. No, pray that his life will improve, that he’ll get to know God, that he won’t be hollow and miserable anymore. More ideas will come to you as you pray. Every time your sentiments of hate, annoyance, and disgust for the fellow cue you, pray for him. Don’t worry about how you feel. Just DO this. It will work. Seedtime and harvest works regardless of how you feel while you’re doing it.

This WILL WORK. I Corinthians 13:8 guarantees it. “Love never fails.”

At the very best, the guy will change and become your help. At the least, God will move him out of your way.