Hey there, let’s have a real talk about the saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” I personally love social media. I have learned a lot from the articles I have read throughout the years, uncovered businesses I never knew existed and have been able to stay up to date with friends and family who do not live in the town that I live in.

As a business owner and pastors’ wife, I mostly accept people who ask to be my friend or join my network of contacts. That means I have a lot of people on my friends/contacts list that I have never met personally or know very well. Some are friends of friends or friends of family, people I have met in the community, personally or professionally, or people who have attended my church.

I find the way people behave on social media intriguing. In years past, people would go to the mall, find a chair or bench and people watch for hours. You could learn a lot from this activity. Many malls are empty today but the people watching continues as social media is the new venue. If you sit back and just read comments or watch the posted videos you can learn a lot.

Enemies are called out, sometimes by name, unfollowed, blocked, deleted and/or every post or activity stalked. Dirty laundry is exposed for all to see and hear, with no filters or holding back on how the author really feels about the situation. The really sad part is that Christians behave in this trend as well. They not only bash their enemies, but they bash their church, other churches, other denominations, their pastor, other pastors, other church members and other Christians. This is hard truth! What must the world think of us??

It’s a popular saying in the world, but let’s dig into what the Bible has to say about it.

First off, the idea of keeping your enemies close comes from a place of caution and self-protection. It suggests that by keeping a close eye on your enemies, you can anticipate their actions and protect yourself from harm. But here’s the thing – while this may make sense from a worldly perspective, it’s not exactly the approach that God calls us to take as His followers.

In Matthew 5:44, Jesus tells us, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Love your enemies? Pray for them? It’s definitely not the same as keeping them close to monitor their every move. Jesus challenges us to respond to our enemies with love and prayer, rather than with suspicion and fear.

Let’s look at some examples from the Bible where this biblical approach was taken, and it pleased God.

1. Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 45:1-15): Joseph’s brothers had betrayed him, selling him into slavery out of jealousy. Yet, when Joseph was reunited with his brothers years later, he responded with forgiveness and compassion. Instead of seeking revenge or keeping them at arm’s length, Joseph embraced his brothers, showing them love and mercy. This act of forgiveness ultimately led to reconciliation and a restored relationship.

2. David and Saul (1 Samuel 24): David had every reason to see Saul, the king who was hunting him down, as an enemy. Yet, when David had the opportunity to take Saul’s life, he chose instead to spare him, demonstrating mercy and respect for the position of authority that Saul held. David’s actions showed a heart of humility and trust in God’s sovereignty over the situation.

3. Jesus on the Cross (Luke 23:34): Perhaps the ultimate example of loving our enemies is seen in Jesus’ words on the cross. Despite the cruelty and injustice, He faced, Jesus prayed for His enemies, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus’ act of forgiveness and love toward those who crucified Him is a powerful demonstration of God’s grace and mercy.

So, how are we called to treat our enemies according to the Bible? Romans 12:20-21 gives us some guidance: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” This means responding to our enemies with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, rather than with hostility or retaliation. Romans 5:8 shows God’s love for us even when we were His enemies, which is the example we should use. The Greek word for love in this verse is “agape”, which means unconditional love. This word is also used in John 3:16, showing God’s love for the world.

I wanted to close with the definition of enemy from the Oxford Dictionary. It defines enemy as a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. The scripture defines our enemy as Satan. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV): “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Most of the people we call an enemy, or we treat as such, are not someone who is hostile to us but rather simply has a different opinion than we do. Society likes to say, “if you are not with me, then you are against me.” There is no room for conversation or agreeing to disagree. We need to stop and really evaluate why we have labeled someone as our enemy to see if it is true or not and treat them as God has commanded us to treat them.

As followers of Christ, let’s challenge ourselves to take the biblical approach when it comes to our enemies. Instead of keeping them close out of fear or suspicion, let’s love them, pray for them, and seek reconciliation where possible. By doing so, we not only honor God’s commandments but also demonstrate His love and grace to a world in need of healing and reconciliation. Let’s focus on sharing the love of Christ not sharing hate, dishonesty, words or actions that hurt others, the church at large or Christs testimony to the world.