Verse: John 15:18-19
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 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.
Thoughts
I remember when I was younger I decided to fast from all music that wasn’t Christian-based for a month. I felt I needed to just take some control of what I was letting come into my head and heart for a while. I listen to all kinds of music still, but it was a season where God asked me to fast.
I remember I had a friend at the time who thought it was crazy that I would do this. She said it was “radical.” I think I’ll always remember that because what she meant as an insult, I took as a compliment! Yes. I hope I am radical in my following of Jesus!
This is a small example, though, of what Jesus is talking about here. He lets us know that if we decide to be followers of Jesus, other people simply will struggle to understand how we live our lives. They may even judge us or look down upon us. He goes so far as to say they will hate us.
When we decide to make Jesus our number one priority, to live according to his teachings, we immediately set ourselves apart. We believe that Jesus is the only way to find eternal life. We believe that the teachings of Jesus supersede culture. We believe that Jesus calls us to live to a higher standard than whatever we want to do. Christianity has always been counter-cultural. For all these reasons, you may find that some people simply do not “get” you. They may even insult you, pass judgement on you, or assume the worst about you.
This can be painful, especially if they are people we love. However, in all this, our response is what matters. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he forgave the people who hung him there. Just take a moment to let that sink in. That is our calling as his followers.
He says people will hate us as they hated him, but then in another place he calls us to love and forgive them. It can feel so lonely when people judge us for our faith, but Jesus wants us to know he’s been there, and really – they aren’t judging us, they are judging him, again. So our move is to love and forgive them, and then to find comfort in Him!
Have you experienced people judging you for your faith, or looking down on you because you are a Christian? How has that made you feel? And how have you responded?
Prayer
I pray that you would give me grace to handle when people look down on my because of my faith. It is hard because I want to be liked! But I pray that you would give me grace!
Author: Christian Dunn
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