Four Reasons You Can be Glad Your Enemies are not Dead

Someone does you wrong. You are hurt, angry, in disbelief and experiencing a host of other well-justified emotions. It often happens within the church. Someone gossips about you, lies about you, lies to you, etc. We've all been there. We even wish punishment on them. We wonder how such a holy God can tolerate their abuse of others. We hope God will pour out His righteous judgment on them so we can get justice and feel vindicated.

But that normally doesn't happen.

Now what?

I'll tell you what.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. If God were in the practice of striking people dead for hurtful infractions they inflict on others, we'd all be dead.

Be glad your enemies are not dead because it means God is showing mercy.

And if God shows them mercy, as horrible as they are, you can be sure He will show you mercy. It doesn't mean what they did to you was justified or tolerable. It means His mercy endures forever. Rejoice.

Be glad your enemies are not dead because it means they have more time to get right with God.

True Christianity compels us to want even our enemies to come to God. His patience with them gives them more time to get right with Him. If you are in the midst of  pain caused by others, you might not see it, but God has vision beyond our pain and we can count on His unchanging character to carry us through. This is mercy and grace, things we all need.

Be glad your enemies are not dead because it means there's time for your relationship with them to heal.

You might think this statement is ludicrous, but I've seen it happen. I've seen people who were stark enemies have their hearts softened toward each other and their relationship was restored. God is the God of restoration, no one does it better or more thoroughly, or through more impossible obstacles.

Be glad you enemies are not dead because they, too, have loved ones.

It might be hard to fathom that your enemy has someone who loves them, but they do. Everyone comes from a family and most go on to create their own families. While it's hard for you to see how anyone can love someone who has hurt you so deeply, it's true that some people do love them and it might be too grievous for those loved ones to lose them.

Rejoice in life - even the life of your enemies.
~Tricia