Enemy to Love
Written by Jason Chatraw
The hatred hanging in the air was thick. Two young women, Chiu-Chin-Hsiu and Ho-Hsiu-Tzu, marched into a Chinese prison courtyard. Behind them marched their pastor, the same man who had led them to the Lord. However, no guard in the courtyard was going to perform the execution – the pastor was designated to pull the trigger.
He accepted this brutal assignment under the agreement that the Chinese government would free him. It was a horrible way for these devout women to die, especially at the hands of the man who led them to Christ.
Another prisoner taking in the scene through a distorted view from his cell noted the facial expressions of the two women. Both women were pale and sad, but beautiful as the moment of tragedy rapidly approached. They both bowed their heads and one of the young women told the executioner, their pastor, this:
“Before being shot by you, we wish to thank you heartily for what you have meant to us… God bless you, and remember that our last thought of you was not one of indignation against your failure.”
And with a hard heart, the pastor pulled the trigger. Moments later, he, too, was shot to death.
While most of us never will be persecuted for our Christian faith, we are all called to love others.
Dr. Charles Stanley points out that love’s hidden enemy is our own immaturity. We would think the two Chinese women were completely “normal” if they despised their pastor as he pulled the trigger. They had every reason to be angry, bitter, and resentful. But they were walking in the maturity that only can be found in Christ.
Here are a few steps to maturity in our relationship with others:
1) Acknowledge we are part of the problem. The first step to overcoming any problem in our lives is placing aside our pride. (1 Peter 3:8)
2) Determine the root cause. We need to ask ourselves whether the attitude we’re portraying is one of love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
3) Seek godly counsel. As we probe our hearts, we need to find someone who not only will give us advice but will give us godly advice. (Proverbs 1:5)
4) Surrender to obedience. Our lives should be constantly held in check by our motives. (Romans 6:16)
5) Trust in God. Once we’ve settled the fact that God truly does love us, we begin to realize that he has a purpose for our lives. (Psalms 56:11)
6) Prepare for healing. As we take these steps to overcome immaturity in our lives, we must prepare ourselves for what God is going to do: He will heal us. (Psalm 30:2)
Tags: Bible study, Jason Chatraw, small groups, spirituality, Women
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