HAVE ANY OF YOU ever been wrongly spoken of? Attacked verbally? Physically? Have you had instances where, through no fault of your own, you’ve been hated? Welcome to the kingdom! Jesus said they will hate you because they hate Him! Good company!

I have a remembrance of me in seventh grade junior high… Here is another victory story – and I wasn’t even paying attention to God. He was not my Father and I was not His friend. Yet see how He can guided even as a lost and lonely teen…

I was in the library. There was a very pretty girl at my table; brown eyes, black hair. Her demeanor, however, was that of a snot. She was so cute, but she was so mean: unfriendly, unpleasant. I admired her outward beauty, but not her. With her was a small blonde boy. Now small boys can grow into substantial size men: I hope he did. Short stature can be hard on a guy. These two knew each other; and although we are to be quiet in the library, hushed tones were somewhat allowed. So he spoke to her…

I minded my own business: first, because I was shy; also because I didn’t like this girl, didn’t know either of them; and, I had nothing to say, didn’t need to. I wouldn’t say I was sitting there looking superior or snotty. Remember, I was the one who felt inferior and not attractive; but I wouldn’t say ugly. This small blonde boy did though. He looked me up and down and said to her: “She’s a dog!”

HERE’S THE VICTORY:
I had already gotten a good look at him. He wasn’t a big strong guy. He wasn’t one my heart would have skipped a beat over. I thank God for the reaction I had. I just let his hateful, uncalled for, and attempting hurtful words fall flat. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t puddle up. I knew he was a brat and wanted to make himself feel important.

You know what? He was! He was loved deeply by the same Father we both seemed not to have at that time. Of course, I hope he has come to love God, love himself, and love others as I have.

FOR YOUR SAKE:
Consider (if you want) what others say about you and then line this up with the Word of God. I had a dress on that day that I absolutely didn’t like; I’m sure he noticed it being unattractive. My teeth were still crooked back then. But I knew I wasn’t ugly and I knew he was not only mean, but he was very stupid. He wasn’t looking closely enough… What he was looking for was to hurt.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE:
Take counsel only from loving children of God. Even then, Beloved, address all of it according to God’s standards…

Jesus died for the pretty, but snotty girl, the small blonde youth, the inferior feeling (but not) girl (me.) He died for Hitler, for Stalin, John Hagee. Some do reciprocate His love; many don’t.

Think about it…

and choose wisely!

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS JOY STORY:

John 15:18-25
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.  Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.