In today’s polarized world, the very definition of an enemy is someone with different views from ours. In recent times, geopolitical issues have risen beyond our control. Tensions between people of different political and socioeconomic convictions have risen in the 21st century. Religion has caused major conflict within the world, which has led to many lives being lost in different parts of the world. Hate like this has no place in our world.

Letting go of our enemies does not entail accepting the wrong; it means working on yourself by developing inner peace and resilience. Eventually, you will build personal and spiritual growth that will help you become emotionally strong.

The article will provide practical ways of forgiveness and the advantages of having such characteristics within you. 

Why love your enemies?

Loving your enemies has immense benefits that will guide you towards a healthy pathway. We all have enemies, some more than others. The best way to not let them affect our overall well-being is to let them go. Letting go means forgiving them from the bottom of our hearts and making sure that things will work out. 

Psychological benefits

People who have enemies are usually stewing in hate and resentment but once time goes on, they start caring less. This is the point where you stop letting others affect your life. The same goes for loving your enemies. Once you’re able to separate yourself from that resentment, you become a completely new person. You can think rationally without the fog of hate distracting you from making sensible decisions.

People with anxiety and stress, usually spend their whole time overthinking and getting frustrated over the actions of their enemies. Instead of pondering over it, one must embrace who they are as a person. Pray for them and begin the forgiveness journey. This will ensure these individuals have a clear path towards a better future ahead. 

It will eventually lower your anxiety and stress, leaving you lighter than air. Your mind will slow down and you’ll have immediate mental clarity. It will improve your overall mental well-being. 

Political and cultural conflicts have led many to be extremely hateful towards each other. Such hate has cost many lives to people. They are unable to reflect on their actions and things have started escalating due to it. It has eliminated the sense of being of being kind towards those who think and act differently from us. 

Understanding the concept of enemy love

  • There are many misconceptions when it comes to enemy love. When we train our minds to love our enemies, it does not mean we become pushovers. We aren’t forced to love them and justify their actions. We simply open our hearts to them, offering them love and kindness. It doesn’t mean we accept their harmful actions but choose to act without the element of hate.
  • Here, the emphasis is on true love. The kind of love that lasts a lifetime and doesn’t leave out any residual hate or resentment. True love is defined as consistent kindness and forgiveness for our loved ones. No matter how hard things get, we’re able to accomplish everything we can for them. It is also that feeling of wanting the best for them. Caring about their health and safety so we can pray for their overall well-being.

Practical ways to show love for your enemies

Pray for them: One of the best ways to show that you love them is by praying for their well-being. Prayers invoke a sense of empathy towards the person you’re praying for. It provides you with amazing clarity and utmost sincerity for them. Your heart softens towards them and you are able to let go of the resentment you’re facing. 

Practice forgiveness: If you want to let go of your issues connected to certain people, forgiveness is one of the most effective ways. Forgiveness will help you heal from their hurtful actions and will free you from constant frustration. It creates immense clarity with your actions and helps you heal in better ways. 

Empathy and Understanding: If it’s hard for you to do any of this, try putting yourself in their shoes. This will give you some perspective regarding their actions and will motivate you to do better. You might feel resentful towards them but once you get a clear headway regarding their issues, you can certainly understand why they did it. It will make you more empathetic towards them.

Actions that can show you love them

  • Gestures like smiling, complimenting, or even doing something for them can lead to no animosity. You are being kind towards your enemy which means you are at a higher stage now and can easily make amends with them.
  • It is important while going through this forgiveness journey that you find common ground with each other. Bridge the gap that’s fueling this hate between you two. Communication is extremely important in any relationship. There might be some shared interests or values that can provide you with a common ground. These will help you look at your enemy from a different perspective. It will also develop a positive connection between you two, instilling a sort of kinship.
  • While you’re going through this journey, it is important to release any sort of grudges you might have with each other. These grudges keep the hate constant, it makes you feel like you can certainly work on your issues and find a semblance of normalcy. Let go and move forward so you can build and invest in relationships that matter.

Conclusion

We all struggle with the demands of forgiveness. Even if we may forgive someone with genuine kindness and mean what we say, we may also want to keep as far away from them as possible to shield that forgiveness from likely future attacks that could put charity under pressure. We can let go and move on in situations where we know we have made multiple sincere attempts to reach out and truly want peace because some relationships are just toxic beyond reason or consent.

God bless

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