Don’t people like you?

When you feel like people don’t like you, make an extra effort to pray for them and bless them. Say hi to them, even if they ignore you… Be friendly (not provokingly) toward them. Forget about bitterness, anger, and jealousy, which are not from God.

If you are truly on fire for Jesus, then don’t take it as a personal attack when people turn against you, but rather keep loving them. DON’T GIVE UP!!!! Don’t expect them to come to you – be glad if they do, but don’t expect them to!! In all things, show them the love you have received from your heavenly Father – and share it. Put on your spiritual glasses rather than looking at it through your “emotional glasses” where you say “I don’t want to keep doing this”, “by now, it’s their turn to give something back”, “what they have done is way too sick for me to care”, “they took a part of what was me/mine”, etc.… No, REMEMBER that “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27)… And if you have put on Christ, it’s no longer an attack against YOU, when people don’t treat you like they should, but against Jesus. So, start by feeling sorry for these people, rather than judging/condemning them – and love them in spite of what they did (or didn’t do). Like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, when he healed and placed the ear back on the soldier who had gotten it cut off when they came to arrest Him. Jesus´ amazing words at that moment were: “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matt. 26:52). And this doesn’t only apply to “swords”, but also to other violence or even thoughts of violence, and other negative thoughts and condemnation against others.

Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew 5:44-48
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

If you understand that as a born-again Christian, you are among GOD’S CHOSEN CHILDREN (Read e.g. Rom. 8:14-16) and you will act in accordance with the wishes of your heavenly Father – and you will know how precious you are.

2. Tim. 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” So use the power of the Holy Spirit, use the love you have received through the Holy Spirit, and use your sound mind – not only in the physical world, but also in the spiritual world.

Luke 10:5-6
But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.

…..Remember – this is also true when YOU do things like blessing the people who give you a hard time!!

God’s PEACE to you….!

Andreas Slot-Henriksen
November 2016