Should you love your enemy?

In my life, I have known some people that I would call my enemy.  These people have been very evil and have done things to my family or me that would seem un-forgivable.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.  Luke 6:35-36 (MSG)

How can you do this?  How can you love your enemies?  How can you even try to?  Here are some basic steps on being able to try to do what God is asking you to do:

1. Do you really believe?  I ask this because I think the first step at being at peace is to have a relationship with God.  If you do not have this living faith relationship it might be time for you to ask God for it. (How to know God)  If you do have faith you should be able to forgive because you have been forgiven. You understand forgiveness better by realizing that you do not deserve it.
2. Write down all of the people that you would consider an enemy.  I would also write down anyone that you do not get along with or generally hate.
3. Take this list of names and place it where you will see it everyday.
4. Every time you see this list pray for each person on the list.  Your prayer can be: “God, help me forgive this person.” or “God, help me to understand why this person acted this way.” You can simply pray about your feelings toward this person.  Sometimes I have even prayed that God will show His justice.  This might not be right but, when you are mad, it takes time for you to see the right things to do.
5. Repeat the above items as much as needed.

I have done this and God has healed my relationships with people that I thought I could never forgive.  He has made one person that I really did not like one of my best friends.

God, please help us forgive others just as you have generously and graciously forgiven us.