A few months ago, I had a challenging and convicting conversation with a man that works for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). The subject of our conversation was another University employee who wasn’t his “cup of tea.” During the conversation the man said, “If he was on fire on the side of the road, I wouldn’t stop and throw water on him.” From a Christian perspective I thought, “How cruel,” but my human side understood. It’s hard to love someone who has done you wrong.
Comments like these make today’s text even more trendsetting. In the passage cited above, David reminds us to love our enemies. When he received news of Saul’s death, he mourned. Further, David avenged Saul’s death and even wrote a song in his honor. The only way David could do this for Saul – who tried to kill him – was if he loved him. I guess love truly “makes up for all offenses” (Proverbs 10:12, New Living Translation).
Guess what? David isn’t the only person capable of loving his enemies; you can too! It takes A LOT of GOD, but you can be nice to people who irritate you.
Try it …