SHE LOVED HER ENEMIES

Have you read or heard the story of Jim and Elizabeth Elliot? The names may not ring a bell but in the annals of world missions, they can't be forgotten. Jim and Elizabeth Elliot were missionaries sent to the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador also called the Aucas by the Quichua. Jim and four other missionaries were later killed by the tribe they were trying to reach. After Jim's death, Elizabeth returned and spent two years ministering to the tribe that killed her husband. Elizabeth Elliot is an outstanding female missionary in the last few generations who was loved by all. Through her extensive speaking and many beautiful books, her legacy and inspiration will live on in the hearts of all who read them. She showed love and compassion to the people that killed her husband by preaching Christ to them. That was the exact kind of compassion Christ had for evil people.

The Christian faith is under attack by enemies of Christ. It is no news that churches and Christians have come under intense attack in recent times. Churches have been torched, Christians killed and priests abducted. In our generation, if we were in Elizabeth's shoe, many of us would have cursed and despised the killers of her husband. Today, most believers have resolved to curse these enemies instead of doing what the master commands. The stock-in-trade of some preachers is to curse when such calamities happen yet the curses hasn't reduced the spate of persecution and opposition against the Church. Christ commanded us to pray for them, our pains shouldn't stop us from praying for their salvation and witnessing Christ to them if the opportunity present itself. We owe them the message of the gospel and a showing of love.

According to oral tradition of church history, when emperor Nero wanted to kill some of the Christians who didn't deny the faith in his time, they were singing and rejoicing in the face of death. After they died and had turned to skeletons, Nero visited the place where their skulls were and he was surprised that their skulls looked like someone that is laughing. He became angry. Our forebears in the faith were men who prayed for their enemies at the point of matrydom. In Acts 7:60, it was recorded of Stephen, the first matyr: "Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep." Many saints of old died loving their enemies. They weren't merchants of curses. On the cross, Jesus didn't curse the thief that despised him. Despite the pain, his heart was full of love. The power of love will propel us to pray the salvation of our persecutors and seek ways to win them over to Christ. This is a very hard message however, it is the Gospel of Christ.