“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
For you will heap burning coals on his head,
And the Lord will reward you. “
Proverbs 25:21-22 (NASB)
The obligation to treat others rightly isn’t conditional upon whether or not they like us. We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, not as they love us. Proverbs tells us that if we treat our enemies in a Christlike way that not only will we be rewarded for our faithfulness but it will irritate those who would oppose us. Now, that irritation can’t be the ultimate motivation for our kindness because kindness for the sake of cruelty isn’t really kindness. Neither can reward be our ulterior motive because true compassion is selfless. The greatest motivation to treat others rightly (whether they be friend or foe) rather is to keep the door of opportunity for the gospel.
Questions for application…
How are we to treat our enemies ?
What are some incorrect motives for treating our enemies with kindness ?
What is the ultimate goal in dealing with those who oppose us ?
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