Frienemy?

This post is inspired by my friend Roy Bowen. He made a statement on Twitter the other day: (http:www.twitter.com/roybowen)

“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” – I think this is one of the worst things one Christian can say about another Christian.

Randy Randolph responded: (http:www.twitter.com/rlrandolph)

@roybowen No doubt! Where is the love of God in that?

Here’s my response to both:

@roybowen @rlrandolph Jesus said to love your enemies. Can a fellow believer be an enemy? Some sure act like enemies. Not a b&w issue IMO

I think the statement “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” is not to be taken literally. As believers we only have one enemy and Jesus Christ defeated him. However, some Christians do act like enemies. We see those who lie about one another. We see jealousy and strife among believers. Whole churches (and denominations) are started just to oppose other churches.

I have personal experience with this in my own ministry. I have had people who tell lies about me and my wife behind my back. Its not just a suspicion, it was told to me both by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by those who rejected the lies. Some of these were people who were in the children’s ministry that I oversaw.

Instead of expelling this people I put them closer to me so that they could see who I really was. I never chastised them, I only loved them. I forgave them immediately for anything they had said or would said. I “took no thought of a suffered wrong”. Instead of treating them in a worse manner, I treated them even BETTER. I just “loved the hell” right out of them.

They stopped the negative talking and their attitude towards me and my wife changed. They looked at me as their enemy but really I was their biggest supporter in what they do to serve the Lord.They never repented or perhaps even realized that I knew what they had said. (If you’re reading this right now, hello there.) It doesn’t matter to me, what someone else does does not effect whether I believe God’s Word is true or not.