Refuel, Reframe, Recalibrate: A 7-Day Devotional for Business ExecutivesНамуна

Loving Our Enemies

Sometimes work feels like a war zone. On those kinds of days, we can feel like we are surrounded by enemies and taking heavy fire. Maybe the enemies are our competitors for market share or maybe the shareholders or maybe our colleagues vying for the top management spot. Whatever the case, it can get to us. We can be tempted to operate from fear and scarcity instead of from love and abundance.

Sometimes we get stuck in the old win-lose mentality. We still have not really bought into the 3rd way espoused by Stephen Covey. The 3rd way is the win-win solution, where instead of either my way or your way, we collaborate to find a higher order solution where we can both win.

Instead of seeing our enemies as those whom we fight against for our piece of the pie, can we see them as potential partners in creating a bigger pie? If we are to initiate this type of collaborative paradigm change, then we are going to have to do something scandalous - love our enemies. Change-agents/pioneers/visionaries lead by example. When the competition is out to get us, we are going to have to forsake the eye-for-an-eye tactics in favour of the turn-the-other-cheek strategies. We are going to have to play the long game.

This is not easy by any means. The power to act with altruism in the face of hostility requires serious humility, and that requires serious inner work. And maybe this is a trait that should be a foundational pillar for all that we have discussed so far. We need to be doing the inner crucifixion work of character formation daily if we want to demonstrate Christ in the workplace. What we do not want is to wear the Christian label while pursuing wealth, power, and status just like everybody else. Oh never let that be us! Daily we are following His voice and dying to self in the hope that Christ may be revealed in us and the Father's love poured out through us. According to Dallas Willard, the gold standard test for the formation of Christ in us is our love for our enemies. It's the acid test.

Father, You are love. I surrender my heart to You anew. Fill me with Your love and Your light. If there be any idols in my heart before You, Lord, show me. I bring to the foot of the Cross those lesser loves that I too often run after. Help me, Holy Spirit, to love those who seem to be against me. Help me to release any unforgiveness and bitterness in my heart and leave You to bring justice in Your perfect time and Your perfect way. Help me, rather, to be a force of forgiveness and reconciliation in this world. Amen.