Hated

 

It’s all about who you know and how many of them are there.  We are bent on searching for popularity.  It’s the second half of the American dream to have a posse that follows you around telling everyone how cool and awesome you are. 

You care about what others will say about you and even start blushing when you think you look dumb.  You are so used to have people around you think well of you that you can’t even fathom being hated. 

The old Eminem song comes to mind: “Have you ever been hated or discriminated against? I have, I’ve been protested and demonstrated against.”  Not to say that it’s a song worth listening to but this dude digs what it means to be rejected by others regardless of the context he is in.

Throughout history Christians weren’t really treated all that nice.  They were maligned, bad mouthed, ridiculed, beaten, persecuted and even murdered just because they follow Christ.

Don’t be surprised next time your co-workers think you lost your marbles because you’re following a marginalized Galilean peasant.  Don’t be surprised when people think it’s their job to point out how ridiculous you look because you believe that a Jewish Rabbi who suffered capital punishment was resurrected.  

At the end of the day this Jewish man is God.  He reigns.  Every fool and every wise person will bow down before him.  Every idiot and intelligent person will confess that He is the King.

In Christ,

Michael