Monday, April 26, 2010

Plan for someone to dislike you, but don't help the process.

John 15:20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.

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I still get surprised when someone doesn't like me for no reason at all. When a person puts me in a category because of some obscure thing that happened to them when they were six, it makes me upset and confused.

I have had people call me vulgar names and do some very nasty things to me throughout the years. When I was a kid, I didn't have much. I was teased about the little I had. My clothes were sometimes too short and I was never in style, so I yearned for a job.

I bought the latest clothes and then I was teased about my hair. I took care of that and then I was teased about my glasses. I bought the coolest frames. Then they said I was too skinny. Okay... enough change! I soon found out that I was chasing a rainbow trying to fit in. Unfortunately my resolve was short lived.

I went away to college and began to fit in. My best friend and I would laugh and have a good time. Then a couple of people hung out around us, then it was a small crowd. Soon we had a mob of people hanging out in our room or apartment. I had made it! The world loved me! Meanwhile I wasn't serving CHRIST at all.

  • I wasn't telling people about GOD's son.
  • I wasn't studying HIS word.
  • I wasn't praying.
  • I wasn't serving anyone.
  • No fruit.

I did however have a lot of "friends" or at least I thought they were. Then a problem came up and another problem and another. I went to my "friends" and found out they weren't friends at all. They couldn't handle their own problems let alone mine.

I was alone in the middle of a crowd. I decided to try GOD again. I began teaching the Bible after studying it and getting cut by its words. A few people accepted what I was saying and they believed! What a great feeling. I wanted everyone to know about GOD's SON.

I started telling people about GOD and HIS wonderful grace and I noticed people who were my party friends started disappearing. So I tried harder. "You are going to like JESUS whether you like it or not!", I thought to myself. I went after them with a passion and I noticed the crowd getting smaller and smaller.

"Why isn't this working?" I thought about it and the LORD showed me my judgmental attitude to my approach. This is something GOD could not use so I made an adjustment and HE blessed me with 'plenty' in all aspects of my life.

Sound like a happy ending? Well I'm not done yet. After GOD showed me that I had a bad attitude and gave me the gift of grace and mercy I used my learning’s at work. They didn't like me being gracious and inclusive and they certainly didn't want to hear anything about how GOD had blessed me.

  • The world will confuse me by sending mixed messages.
  • The world will laugh at me for not having the latest thing.
  • The world will scoff at my attempts at grace and mercy.
  • The world will sneer at my relationship with CHRIST.

People in the business world get nervous about mentioning CHRIST because money is more important than the people. I will continue to serve people not money. I will serve humans who are down instead of building up the wealthy who don't care.

  • GOD loves me even when the world hates me.
  • GOD loves me when I don't have much.
  • GOD loves me when I show compassion for all humans.
  • GOD loves me in spite of my sins.

I am no longer worried about fitting in because GOD said the world will hate me because I love HIM. I definitely choose this path because the rewards are huge! Don't give up, love people while maintaining a good attitude and the rewards will be great.

  • Do people dislike you for no reason?
  • Do people dislike you because you belong to CHRIST?
  • Are you fitting in with the "in crowd" a little too well?
  • Are you sinning and justifying it by being accepted?
  • Can you continue serving even though people dislike you?

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