Exodus 20:17 ESV "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."
Deuteronomy 5:21 ESV "'And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.'
Then Jesus’ goes into a radical concept of loving your enemies.
Matthew 5:43-48 ESV "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:44-45 ESV But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.God doesn't bestow special blessings through nature on Christians. God is good and rich unto all.
How is it possible to love your enemies?
Jesus says that it is impossible for man to do it alone.
Matthew 19:26 ESV But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
It is only possible through the Holy Spirit and the fruit He deposits in every believer.
Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,21 submitting to one anther out of reverence for Christ. (emphasis mine)
Galatians 5:16-18, 20-22, 24 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We don't have the right to get even.
We can defend ourselves but we are to forgive not get even.
1 Peter 2:21-23 ESV For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Romans 12:19 ESV 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."
Matthew 5:48 ESV You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
A Prayer For Dealing With People Who Bring You Down
By Carrie Lowrance
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. - 2 Timothy 2:24 (NLT)
We all have people in our lives who try to bring us down. You may have that one parent that tries to bring you down all the time. You could have a boss that is always criticizing you. Maybe you have a friend that is very subtle in tearing you down. It is so easy to get frustrated and angry at people who act like this. It is also easy to take their words to heart, cause them to stop us in our tracks, and never pursue the dream that the Lord has planted in us. As Christians, how should we deal with people like this?
Remember Our Value & Worth
- We must remember that our worth and value is not in those around us.
- Our value and worth are in the Lord.
- We all have value because we have all been blessed with talents and gifts.
- He has created all of us uniquely and we are all valuable to him beyond measure.
We Must Turn The Other Cheek And Keep Moving Ahead
- When people try to bring us down we must let if fall on deaf ears.
- We need to continue to pursue the dreams the Lord has placed in us and the roads on which He is leading us.
- If we are having an off day at work, forgive ourselves for the mistakes we make, and make an effort to enjoy the rest of our day.
- Listen closely to the Lord’s guidance in our hearts on how to specifically handle a situation.
Pray For Those Around Us
The most important thing we can do for these people (other than not lashing back) is to pray for them. Take the time to get to know the people that tear you down. Get inside their lives, thoughts and emotions. Then pray as specifically as you can about their situation. Reach out to them and help them if you can. If there is something they have always dreamed of doing, encourage them to go for it. If it is something you know a lot about, offer to mentor them. If they are suffering from past hurts but don’t know how to get past it, research some good, Christian therapists in your area and pass on the information. If they are struggling with a self-esteem issue, point out all the good characteristics and talents they have. Compliment them at least once a week when/if you see them. You never know what will become of the seeds you plant in love.
Pray For Their Salvation. It’s hard to know how to pray for someone when it comes to this matter. The best way I know to pray in this way, is to ask the Lord to reveal himself in a way that is unique to the individual. Ask the Lord to open their eyes, heart, mind and soul in a way that they have no doubt that He exists. In a way that would speak specifically to them.
Dear Lord,
Please Help Me When Those Around Me Try To Bring Me Down. Allow Me To Recognize The Hurts And Issues In Their Lives And How I Can Be Of Help To Them. Help Me To Keep My Natural Human Tendencies In Check And Not To Retaliate Back. Quietly Remind Me Where My True Worth And Value Really Lie. Give Me Comfort In Knowing That You Are Leading Me On A Better Path And Give Me The Strength To Continue Pursuing It. Please Clear My Heart Of Any Issues That Will Hinder Me From Praying For Those Around Me. In Your Name I Pray. Amen.