“You’re just like your Dad.”
Years ago I wasn’t so keen on getting that comment. That’s primarily because my Dad is a lot older than me (I know, right, father older than son, whatever next). But I say that to say that I wasn’t always up for being labelled like a man I considered to be so out of step with the modern age. Foolish youth that I was.
As it transpired, it’s actually one of the best compliments that could be paid to be to be likened in anyway to my Dad. There’s a lot to admire about the character of my Dad. For those attributes of character to be seen in me, is a great sign that my life is showing the right kind of elements.
That’s my earthly Dad. What about my heavenly Father?
I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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. (Matthew 5:44-45)
When we make it a family affair, we really are appealing to things being a matter of the heart. It’s not a matter of formality, legality or obligation. This is a commitment of the inner being to seeing what the Father is like and reflecting Him so that in that way people can see who we resemble.
Here what’s at stake is to reflect the Father’s love for all in particular the enemies. Jesus doesn’t hold back in stating the stakes. What’s the point of loving your own – everyone does that. What marks us out as belonging to the heavenly Father is our engagement with the enemy. Love them, pray for them, deal with them as if they were family in essence, because the heavenly Father likewise does that with those who are with Him and those who are against Him. They are current recipients – just or unjust – of the love of the Father. That’s remarkable when you consider the degree of hatred, rebellion and bile that is sent in God’s direction. In return He still provides the conditions for them to receive their daily provisions just as He does with those who love Him.
As with the retaliation touched on previously, we might be quick to justify our actions when we are the victims of horrific expressions of inhumanity. Responding to that with love is not a nature we were born with. It is when we are born again that we turn to our Father and embrace His character and be light and salt by reflecting His character in active expressions of divine love to those who oppose us and seek our downfall.
Before we suggest that it’s impossible, we will always have the example of Stephen in Acts 7. There were plenty who opposed him and that number rose when he had the temerity to let them know their track record of resistance to God. Yet even while they manhandled and mobbed him, threw him out and then threw stones to kill him, he was right there able to still express a love for his enemies. Why he was able to exercise that was because of the character that was described as being full of faith, grace, power and the Holy Spirit. Truly it’s only being full of grace that can lead us to see our enemy and seek for their forgiveness, well-being and development.
It is not always obvious who the enemy is that we’re called to love, but being who you are in Christ will soon let those who oppose you emerge. Some in overt hostility, others in more subtle efforts to dissuade you and distract you. These efforts would naturally lead to reaction of revulsion and rejection. It thus takes being reminded of who you belong to and thus who you are to just be.
God help us to be full of faith, full of grace, full of your power and full of your Spirit to just be who you made us to be as expressed in how we engage with our enemies.
Perhaps one day that will lead to others remarking,
“You’re just like your Dad.”
(Photo by Sabine van Straaten on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 