A lot of people desire for power. Women pay an expert doctor for total make over to have the power of beauty to be competitive in the corporate ladder, to maintain charm to gain husband's loyalty, and to be noticed in the crowd.
According to the source, as of 2011 there are 600 thousand cases of abortion were reported in the Philippines. Most of them are youth (3.6 million teenagers got pregnant out of 26% of the youth population) who aborted the child because of issues on poverty. Some of them were products of pre-marital sex who later on were abandoned by their boyfriends after impregnation. Young women do this to have the power to control oneself on the expected poverty once the conception is continued. Others made such action to obtain power to be saved from embarrassment, to possess the power to maintain good figure. Some perhaps initiated it in exchange of the promising career treating conception as a hindrance to personal ambition.
James 4:1 Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
In different instances, other women divorced or abandoned their family to get hold of that power over herself to be freed from indifferent, irresponsible, cruel, quarrelsome husband. Others leave their husbands in the middle of undergoing monetary paucity to gain that power to meet their standards in any capacity they could.
Eventually, these people who enhanced and maintained the external aesthetic value, the midwives who aborted the babies, the wives who dumped the family could be everyone's enemy when all feel its aftermath which angered when the charm maintained begins to deteriorate because of the efffect of surgical operation, when devastated because of feeling of isolation in coping with responsibility as a parent, when health is compromised (death, breast cancer; cervical, liver and ovarian cancer, uterine perforation, etc) because of abortion.
Taken from any of the particulars as experience, there were times that it is personal choice that bring one to have an enemy. There are times that it is our neighbor who caused us angst which infuriated us resulting to be their enemies. This means that what our neighbors have committed against us, we have also committed against others, not necessarily exactly as the other but the harm is there.
Romans 15:2-3 let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up. For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you fall upon me."
Colossians 3:25 For the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is no partiality.
Others may react "That's unfair! Our family did not kill anyone so why do we have to experience this massacre done against the member of the family?" Yes, our hands maybe are cleaned from any crime but we have certain actions that could somehow be associated to a murder when we were so unbecoming in the way we relate w/ our neighbors through showing arrogance and embarrassing many people, cheating & lying, playful on relationships. We murdered many emotions because of our inequitable act towards another. If we try to reckon, these people who suffer emotional pain because of our unmerited acts, these may be incomparable to the solo pain we endure on the murder of the one who is dearest to us. Now, this pain will serve as an eye opener to be considerate on the feelings of our neighbors, to be faithful & pleasant in our relationship w/ others. It’s not God who brought us into disgrace but it’s the redounding effects that have begotten us into ignominy.
Proverbs 24:17-18 Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles, let not your heart exult, Lest the LORD see it, be displeased with you, and withdraw his wrath from your enemy.
Romans 12:20-21 Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
Luke 13:2-5 He said to them in reply, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them 3 - do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!"
Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.
Whatever the form may be on how our neighbors have offended us whether in the manner of unsuccessful aesthetic operation where the decision-making was a team-effort anyway, abandonment of family & murder; the Gospel is clear that we should still love them who harmed us. I'm not saying that we praise their incompetence, irresponsibility & murderous act but we should give them the luxury of time for the second chance, the same as the ample time that is individually given to us through the Divine Mercy despite of the iniquitous deeds we have committed.
Romans 12:17-19 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
2 Thessalonians 1:5-8 This is evidence of the just judgment of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering. For it is surely just on God's part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, and to grant rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, in blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Definitely, it's not easy to remove pain and; trauma we've been suffering but in time everything is meant to be healed to anyone whose heart, mind and soul is ready to accept the grace of God. The pain is there to discern of what's most beautiful, to transcend from the old self to a new self that lives a well life through love which is the summit of power. Love conquers pain, forgives, reforms, restores & cares for the best.
1 Peter 5:8-10 Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ (Jesus) will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.
Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
This is the summit of power.
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