No matter how good and kind you may be, there will always people who don’t like you. And to make matters worse, because of receiving great pleasure in meanness, some will even seek to harm you in some way. Though you may not consider yourself a combatant, you do see these people for what they are— an enemy.

What do you do in these personal, one-on-one situations? The appropriate response is to react in ways that are pleasing to the Lord. Proverbs 25: 21 says that if your enemies are hungry, then feed them; if thirsty, then give them drink. Why? Because we should let it be God’s fight. Even though it angers the Lord for them to be against you, it does give the Lord the opportunity to reach out to them.

Reacting in ways that enemies don’t expect, create the potential for their consciousness to be pricked, even cracked open. The love exhibited through your actions – God’s love – may be as heat that will warm their hearts. If peace with them is going to happen, this, doing it God’s way, is the process by which God can bring it about (Proverbs 16: 7).

Upon that happening, you should be mindful to stay within God’s mindset. In other words, do not take the occasion to celebrate when the Lord causes an enemy to stumble and fall into trouble. To do so is displeasing to the Lord. In fact, it would cause Him to withdraw His anger towards your enemy (Proverbs 24: 17, 18).

Yes, He will work to turn your enemies from being against you, but, you see, His working also serves the purpose of drawing them to Himself. So don’t be happy for yourself when you see your enemies stumble. Instead pray that their fall will springboard them into becoming what God wants them to be—your brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s the time to rejoice.