May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him… But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

–Psalm 68:1, 3.NIV

As I read Psalm 68, I was once again struck by David’s awe of the Lord and His mighty power over adversity.

I know I’ve said this before, but with Jesus coming into the picture, something in me can’t go as far as David did when he asked God to bring his enemies down. There’s something in me that wants those enemies’ hearts, minds and spirits to be turned toward the Lord and not be struck down and forever lost.

I pray the same thing for myself should I be the one who is acting as an adversary to the Lord. Like everyone else, as Brené Brown says in her YouTube lectures, We’re all trying to do the best we can with who we are and what we have.

But one thing I do admit, is when something goes spiritually wrong in a person, they need prayers to not continue in a God-less direction because they not only affect themselves but their world, especially if they are in high positions. It makes sense then that Christ would want people to pray for any enemies.

Today with politics being so polar and weighted with hot button topics, I wonder if God is calling us to a time of prayer before we begin talking about our points of view or how to solve the problems of this life.

I believe He cares about each and every person regardless of whether they agree with me or not. I’m trying to learn how to listen to opposing points of view while still wishing well of the other person, as G.K. Chesterton, and I believe Christ did as well. Jesus could come down on the Pharisees, but I don’t know that I’m given such permission not being as holy and pure as He was.

But I do know we are asked to speak on behalf of the innocents of this world, but to do so with speech filled with grace, seasoned with salt.

God is about the business of unifying us in civil and respectful discourse that we might live at peace with God and man. It goes without saying what his spiritual adversary is about, and to spend too much time calling him out takes away precious time spent on the building and reconciliation of relationships. God can give us the mind, words and manner if we take a beat and a breath before speaking, as Candace Cameron Bure says in her book Kindness is the New Classy.

Amazing!*

*As a note, I end this way simply because God and His precepts are amazing, and give Him the glory for anything edifying.