Article August 24, 2015 Issue

A friend’s ‘enemy’—my enemy, too?

Shannon Naylor

From a “Young voices” blog on JSH-Online.com.

Jesus calls for his followers to “love ye your enemies, and do good” (Luke 6:35). It’s accepted by many that it’s good to strive to love and forgive people behaving uncharitably toward you. But what if someone becomes the “enemy” of your friend?

Sometime ago, I provided prayerful support and quiet encouragement to a close friend as he dealt with the ugly fallout from a relationship with a mutual acquaintance who had hurt him deeply. My friend had been confiding in me as the events unfolded, and it felt as if I could only watch from the sidelines as the “train wreck” happened.

Watching my friend suffer brought forth a wellspring of love in response. I spent hours in prayer, seeking guidance on how best to lovingly care for my friend. I prayed to know that my friend’s identity as a child of God could never be touched by this incident and sought to witness his true spiritual strength, worth, and dignity.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

A friend’s ‘enemy’—my enemy, too?

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access