Loving the Inner Enemies

God knows your hearts. Luke 16:15

This week as we’ve pondered what it means to conquer our enemies with love, we now turn towards some of the enemies that lie inside us. Take some time with this reflection from the wise monk, Henri Nouwen:

How do we befriend our inner enemies Lust and Anger? By listening to what they are saying. They say, "I have some unfulfilled needs" and "who really loves me?"

Instead of pushing our lust and anger away as unwelcome guests, we can recognize that our anxious, driven hearts need some healing. Our restlessness calls us to look for the true inner rest were lust and anger can be converted into a deeper way of loving.

There is a lot of unruly energy in lust and anger! When that energy can be directed toward loving well, we can transform not only ourselves but even those who might otherwise become the victims of our anger and lust. This takes patience, but it is possible.

- Henri Nouwen