Get Over It

Seriously...I don't understand why Christians get their panties in a twist when the world hates on them.  I have a news flash for all my fellow Jesus-lovers out there.  HE TOLD US IT WOULD HAPPEN. 

He told us Here: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved." Matt 10:22

And Here:  "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you ouut of the world, therefore, the world hates you." John 15:18

Yeah.  He gave us fair warning that the world wouldn't like us.  We were prepared for it.  It shouldn't surprise us, and we shouldn't take such offense when it happens.  It's basically a promise.  If we love Jesus, the world will hate us.  And why does the world hate us?  Because the world belongs to our enemy, Satan.  He is called "ruler of this world" in John 12:31, and "prince of the power of the air" in Ephesians 2:2.  And in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Paul writes, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age (meaning Satan) has blinded, who do not believe, les the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."

So...the world belongs to the devil, and we belong to Christ.  Just as Satan hates Jesus, so the world hates us.

What I REALLY don't understand why Christians feel the need to hate on the world in retaliation.  This is something that has never made sense to me.  The world will always behave as the world.  They have no Light.  They don't have the Truth in them.  They don't have the Love of God in them.  The Bible tells us that because the world did not honor Him, "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves." Romans 1:24.

When the world falls into abortion, homosexuality, fornication, and all sorts of sins, WHY OH WHY OH WHY do we yell and scream and get angry?  Why do we judge?  Why do we hate?

No, SERIOUSLY!

THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER!!!  And hating them and hating on them doesn't do a lick to change the circumstances.  In fact, it has the polar opposite effect.  It usually makes them close ranks and lambast us for being over-pious, and holier-than-thou, which, I'm sorry folks, is ALMOST ALWAYS TRUE.  I'm sorry if I'm stepping on toes or offending people right now, but this is that bald truth of the matter.

We are too busy being offended and offending in return, and that we can't see we're doing more harm than good.  I'm not saying we should tolerate these things in our own homes or our own lives.  If a TV show has a gay couple on it and that offends you, don't write in a twelve-page letter to the TV station lambasting them for forcing a gay couple down your throat.  It will only accomplish two things: 1) convince them that all Christians are closed-minded and judgmental.  2) Hinder the executives from experiencing the Love of Jesus.  Just change the channel or turn the TV off completely.  The last thing we need to do is HELP our enemy by attacking him in the same way he attacks us.

How do you defeat darkness? With Light.  How do you defeat lies?  With Truth.  How do you defeat hate?  With love.  How do you defeat Satan?  With Jesus.

So...get over it.  Get over the offenses.  Get over the hatred.  Get over the insults and slander.  They'll never stop coming so long as the Lord tarries His return.  Instead of getting angry and being hateful, try this instead:

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse...Repay no one evil for evil.  Have regard for all good things in teh sight of all men...Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord.  Therefore 'If your enemy hungers, feed him; If he thirsts, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:14,17,19-21