There was a great video this week of Tom Brady, the quarterback for the New England Patriots, being asked by a young boy how to deal with the “Haters?” His response was to love them because we don’t return the hate. That’s a big thing to say, especially from someone on one of the most hated sports teams in the world. Love can be manifested in many ways. Start with loving your enemy.
Proverbs 24:17-18
“Don’t gloat when your enemy falls, and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him.”
Don’t Celebrate Your Enemies Defeat
Nothing gives anyone more joy than to see their enemy get what they deserve. The problem is we crave it too much, and when it happens, we celebrate it. The writer of Proverbs tells us that if we celebrate or our heart rejoices, the Lord will be displeased and turn away his wrath. Celebrate someone else’s failure is not only cruel, but it is not Christlike. Even when Jesus was on the Cross and his enemies were sneering at him to rescue himself he replied by saying “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” Loving your enemy is the path we must choose.
Let God Deal with It
If we trust that God is sovereign (in control), then we also believe that he will take care of everything, even our hurt feelings. Romans 12:19 says “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Stay humble and do your best to love your enemy. Give them something they don’t expect, and they won’t know how to handle it. Loving your enemy is like pouring hot coals over their head (Rom 12:20).