Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the card aisles of drug stores everywhere are abloom in pinks and reds. Hallmark makes acknowledging our loved ones easy. Take your pick of sappy cards for your boyfriend, goofy cards for Grandpa, Dad, and your best guy friend, and sweet cards for Mom and Grandma. You might even find a Spiderman card for the little boy you babysit.
The one card you won’t find? “Happy Valentine’s Day to my enemy.”
Nope. Hallmark knows they won’t make a dime off that one. Because our culture is not in love with loving our enemies.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
=In This Article
Happy Valentine’s Day To My Enemy: Love Your Enemies
A while back in Made to Stand Out, I talked about 7 virtues that help teens glorify God. The last one on the list may have seemed like an afterthought: Love the people you don’t like. But if you truly want to stand out in your faith, this is how you do it.
Because while the rest of the world tells you it’s okay to hate your enemies and those you find stupid or annoying, Jesus says something entirely different:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:43-44
Why would he ask this of us? Isn’t an enemy of God an enemy of ours?
From Enemy to Ally
News flash: You were once God’s enemy.
You were once God’s enemy.
Like everyone else, you were born with a mind hostile to God and allied with Satan. Your sinful nature pitted you against God in the battleground for your soul. (See Colossians 1:21 and Romans 5:6-11.) He gave you love and you responded with greed, hate, lust, envy, anger, boredom …
Wouldn’t you say God has every right to hate his enemies?
Yet, he doesn’t.
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17
He sent Jesus to receive the abuse, humiliation, and death you deserved and ultimately reversed your status from enemy to ally. (See Jesus Saved You From Sin, Death, Hell—And God.)
Aren’t you glad God chose to love his enemy?
Remember Who The REAL Enemy Is
If you’re like me, you might picture a face when you’re told to think of your enemies. Someone with a name and an agenda against you, your ideals, or your country; someone as local as the bully who won’t leave you alone or as infamous as the merciless dictator of North Korea. These people might pose a real threat but according to the Bible, they’re not the real enemy.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
Never forget you’re not fighting against humans but against Satan, who is using those humans (often without them knowing it) to enact his plan. They aren’t in control, they’re puppets for an evil purpose and the real battle is between truth and untruth. (See my post How to Talk About Jesus With Almost Anyone.)
So in cultivating love for someone you normally consider an enemy, it helps to remember: You share a common enemy.
Belong to Christ, Become Christ to Others
But it’s so HARD to love someone who is constantly mean to me!
Perhaps, but when you remember where you come from—how you received a gift of life you absolutely did not deserve from someone who absolutely did not deserve to die—you may start to rethink that. Because you are so freely and unconditionally loved by Jesus, you are free to love others without the need for anything in return.
Even your enemies.
How to Love Your Enemies: Practical Advice For Teens
What does loving your enemy look like? It doesn’t mean giving yourself over to them to be abused. You can show love to an adversary without laying yourself down to be trampled. Try these practical tips on how to love your enemies:
- Respond in kindness—always. Get good at keeping your emotions in check.
- Pray for them. Remember: They are God’s creation too.
- Show genuine courtesy and respect. This includes how you talk about them to others. Check out my post Why Everyone Deserves Unconditional Respect.
- Actually listen when they speak instead of rolling your eyes or mentally planning your rebuttal.
- Meet them at eye level. Another way of saying don’t consider yourself superior.
- Find common ground wherever possible.
- Look for what’s really behind their animosity toward you. It could be that they have no love to give because it’s not given to them anywhere else.
- When possible, share the good news of Jesus.
You have the awesome privilege of being Christ to the world. Love your enemies so they may come to him, too.
Perhaps Hallmark will catch on after a while.
Moved By What You Read in This Post?
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Go to Church! This topic was inspired by a sermon preached in my own church , which is why I remain adamant that young Christians (and old ones, too) absolutely need to go to church. It’s the easiest thing to do for your faith. Just walk in and let the Holy Spirit greet you at the door.
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Read more! Check out my other Valentine’s Day posts:
- Find Fulfillment as a Single on Valentine’s Day
- True Love on Valentine’s Day, No Matter Your Relationship Status
- How to Really, Truly Know God Loves You (Not specifically for Valentine’s Day but it certainly fits the love theme!
Yes, the Holy Spirit greeting us at the church door works faith in our heart through the Word to love ? one another as God loves us. Thank you, Lauren! God has blessed you with a very special talent of your writings always pointing to how much God loves us and what he has done for us.
??♥️✝️
Happy Valentines Day! ?
Yes! And loving others does not mean we have to condone their life choices or agree with them, or hang out with them all the time but just by being kind, considerate, encouraging, holding them up in prayer, etc, is showing them love. I often times have to remind myself that Jesus lived, loved and died for ALL people. Even the ones I don’t like so much.
Once again, thank you, Lauren. Keep up the good work.
Very good point. Love doesn’t equate to tolerance of sin. In fact, tolerance of sin is the opposite of loving because sin separates us from God.
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