Can We Truly Love Our Enemies and Neighbors?

Bible, Women & Bathrobes

Bible, Women & Bathrobes Episode 19

Sermon on the Mount part 10

Summary

Tamara Anderson, Bonnie Randall, and Wendi Christensen discuss Matthew 5:43-47, the importance of loving enemies and neighbors in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing Jesus' emphasis on loving those who harm us despite cultural context and personal experiences. They also highlight the unique resilience and forgiveness displayed by children, and the challenges of forgiveness and understanding in adults. The wrap it up by encouraging listeners to invite Jesus into their lives to help them love others, even those who are different from them, and break the cycle of abuse and persecution.

Other episodes mentioned

How God Helps Me Forgive and Be Reconciled with Others https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/blog/how-god-helps-me-forgive-and-be-reconciled-with-others

Main Takeaways

· From Tamara, “My biggest takeaway is thinking about to that young Tamara, and just the desire to be more childlike in my ability to love and forgive. I think we can look to our children in this. I see little kids, you know, if you're at the beach, or wherever you are, and all of a sudden they're best friends with the family that's right next to you and they're building a sandcastle together. And I just think it's so admirable. We can look to our children to see them emulating God's love. And so . . . that's probably my prayer, for me is to be more childlike in that regard. And more loving and seeing, you know, people just as children of God.”

· From Wendi, “The Lord loves us, like, just as we are trying and working. I think he loves us even in the process of trying to love people around us. . . I think the Lord has so much patience with us. So we can have patience with ourselves and we can have patience with loving people around us, like loving that enemy, which that which can be so hard. And sometimes that enemy is yourself and just try to love yourself. . . because we can also be our own worst enemy.”

· From Bonnie, “Leave the door open for forgiveness. You don't have to do it all right now, the first step is just believing that forgiveness is even possible someday.”

Today’s Podcast Hosts & Guests

Tamara K. Anderson

Tamara, founder of Women Warriors of Light, is a dynamic speaker, award winning author, and a podcaster. She is driven by her Christian faith to inspire faith in Jesus Christ. Alongside her husband, Justin, she navigates the joys and challenges of parenting four children with autism, ADHD, and mental health hurdles. You can find out more about Tamara on her website: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/

Bonnie Randall

Bonnie Randall is a wife, mother, trainer, speaker, actress, copywriter, heart centered life coach and has also been a business and marketing consultant for over 20 years. Her real passion is to help people grow as individuals and teach them how to resolve limiting beliefs. Bonnie enjoys teaching about mental health, abuse prevention and recovery classes. She runs a trauma recovery support group and YouTube channel called, Come Off Conqueror, which helps survivors of abuse find Christ centered healing. Find out more at: https://www.youtube.com/@comeoffconqueror

Wendi Christensen, LCSW

Wendi is the co-founder of Women Warriors of Light. In addition to being a wife and mother, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 28 years of experience. Wendi is an intuitive counselor helping individuals release pain, renew hope, and restore light through forgiveness. You can find out more about Wendi on her website: https://wendichristensencounseling.com/

Transcript

If you would like to read the transcript of today’s episode, you may find it on our website: https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/blog/Can-We-Truly-Love-Our-Enemies-and-Neighbors