Page 14 - WOTS_68_Printing_Cebu_BW_FINAL

world is evident in the mass shootings, cultural conflict, and wars
that dominate daily news. According to Time Magazine, 451 people
have been killed or wounded in mass shootings in the United States
since 2012.5 Also, the city of Chicago has reported 500 homicides so
far in 2016 alone.6 This is the world Jesus has called us into. We are
called to follow His example and enter enemy territory.
LOVE IS WAR
Once we cross enemy lines, Jesus commands us to do the
impossible: love our enemies. Matthew records, “But I say, love
your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you…If you love only
those who love you what reward is there for that?”7 Left on our
own, we are selfish and only love those who love us back. But,
Jesus’ love that we’re to emulate is sacrificial. It doesn’t expect
anything in return. This kind of love is only possible through the
Holy Spirit, which is God Himself living in and through us. Once we
have faith in Jesus, we become new people capable of new
thoughts, feelings, and actions. He gives us the power to reach out
to our enemies because we are deeply aware of what it cost Him to
reach out to us. We love because He first loved us.8
The love God speaks of is not in any way related to the love so often
thrown around in culture today. God’s love goes beyond emotions
and feelings to actions. We’re not only supposed to love them in
our hearts, but have that love extend to tangible things like
sacrificing our time and resources, giving up our opportunities for
revenge, and seeking their good. This is easier said than done
MEETTHESTAFF
During the latter half of Brittany’s time at UW-
Stout she stepped into Street Level Ministries
as a way to pursue and know God. She then
graduated in 2014 and soon afterwards got a
job as a graphic designer, and continued living
in Menomonie, Wisconsin.
However, on Halloween this year, she made
the biggest move of her life. She left to fill a
ministry post in Cebu City, Philippines for a
minimum of a year and a half.
When asked why she decided to make the
move from sleepy Midwest life to the chaotic
unknown of ministry on the other side of the
world, she said, “I want in on what God is
doing there. It’s been a few years now of God
really working on my heart, changing my
heart, just to even be willing to go.”
This is not the first time she has been to the Follow the adventure at jfbelievers.com and
Philippines. The first time was for four weeks select the ‘Missions Blog’ link.
because it doesn’t come naturally to us. We have to fight against
our own selfishness to love our enemies. Also, sometimes our
enemies won’t let us love them. We get spit on, trampled on,
rejected, and hated which can be intimidating. We’ll get hurt in the
process, and that’s the very point. Loving our enemies means
seeking their good over our own.
In the end, loving our enemies is only possible when we realize we
are God’s enemy first. He sent Jesus to die a criminal’s death on our
behalf and when that hits home with us it puts reaching out to our
enemies in perspective. They haven’t offended us as much as we
offend God with our sin. Yet, Jesus deliberately entered enemy
territory anyway. What will this look like for you? Will it mean
extinguishing the hate in your heart for your third grade bully,
actively engaging with tough professors, or confronting family
members who have hurt you? Regardless of the circumstance, we
have an opportunity to be like Jesus when we love our enemies. It’s
not remotely easy, but worth everything in light of what He
endured for us.
SOURCES
1 Ben Stuart, “Jesus Among the Millennials”
2 Romans 5:12
3 Isaiah 13:11
4 John 17:14-15
5 time.com/4368615/orlando-mass-shootings-chart/
6 cnn.com/2016/09/06/us/chicago-homicides-visual-guide/
7 Matthew 5:44,46
8 1 John 4:19
in the summer of 2015. After seeing God work
in ways that confirmed His will that she be
there, such as being able to keep her job upon
her return, she was on her way to continue
further missions work there. This past summer
she stayed in the Philippines for two months.
“When I came back (this summer) I wanted to
be here but I wanted to be back there also,”
she said, “A month ago I was listening to a
teaching about how Jesus left the comfort of
heaven to come here to us and I remember
thinking that if Jesus can do that then I can
leave the comfort of America and go wherever
He wants me to go.”
The next day she was asked if she wanted to
go to the Philippines. As a young, single
woman just wanting to serve God, it’s not bold
to say that God answered in a way far beyond
expectations.