When I was in college, I had a sign on the wall in my dorm room that said, "Love your enemies; it drives them crazy."  The Bible tells us "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you" (Prov. 25:21-22).  Entertaining thoughts, for sure--can't you just imagine your villainous enemy roasting on a spit over those burning coals, while God, Himself, pats you on the back and commiserates with you?  Delightful!  The problem is in the motivation.  Look at the context of today's verse:

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you?  Even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect payment, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be paid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:27-36).

Ouch!  I'd feel a lot better about those words if they weren't written in red in my Bible.  I mean, if Paul or John had written them, well, maybe he just misunderstood a little or something. But they are in red, the words of Christ.  He calls us to be loving toward others, just as Our Father is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked--me.  He is urging us to be more like Him, to treat others as He has treated us--to really love all those who are created in His image.  And don't be fooled--He loves that enemy of yours just as much as He loves you!  It's not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence.  And He died for your enemy and mine.

There's no putting on a show either.  "For the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind behind the thoughts" (I Chron. 28:9b), and "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb.4:13).

It's probably true that we can't like everyone.  But we are called to love one another.  According to Christ, that is the second greatest commandment.  His isn't asking us to do any more than He has been willing to do Himself.  I pray daily to have the "mind of Christ."  I also fail daily--had to repent this morning for referring to someone as a "moron" last night--OK, it was a policeman who pulled me over and, yes, I probably did not come to a full stop at that stop sign--and in the end, he treated me mercifully--just a man made in God's image, doing his job--not even my enemy. 

We do have enemies in the world, but the Bible reminds us that "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" (Eph. 6:12).  There are two plans made for us in this life--one plan is from God; one plan is from the devil.  I want God's plan, so I will try to love others as He has loved me.  I will fail often, but He will search my heart, and because I give my weaknesses and failures over to Him, His plan will overcome.

Heavenly Father, help me today to choose to do what is good to others, not for my own reward or recognition, but because I want to be like You.  And if I am able to do something good, Lord, I pray that it will not be my face or my name that is remembered for the deed, but Yours.  Help me to represent You well, and to honor you with my words and deeds, and to love others just as You have loved me. Amen.