Bless Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
-Jesus (Matthew 5:43-48)
Our church sings a song called “The Blessing” (video below). I like this song. But sometimes I have a problem with it when we’re singing worship, and it seems like we’re just blessing ourselves instead of worshiping God.
But recently our worship leader challenged us to think about someone we would consider our enemy, or someone we have a hard time with, or someone who really made us mad recently, or really anyone we don’t particularly like, and sing the song over them instead of over ourselves.
It radically changed my experience singing the song. It was a tectonic shift in my heart as I sang the words over my enemy. But it’s right and true. It’s blessing your enemy. Hoping for God’s best work to be done in and through them, instead of harboring petty feelings of superiority.
So I’d like to pass along this practice to you. Go ahead and listen to the video below, and sing the song over an enemy, no matter who comes to mind.