“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are My followers. And many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other.” (Matthew 24:10 NLT)
In Matthew 24 Jesus is outlining the things that will happen in the last days before His return. These are frightening words that point to disturbing events that will take place in the world and in our individual lives. Being hated isn’t a strong motivator when speaking to someone about receiving Christ’s invitation to follow Him. “And, one other thing, you’ll be hated and probably killed for your faith.”
That’s one of the realities of knowing Jesus that likely shouldn’t be foremost in our mind on most days, but nonetheless something that should inform our spirits as we do daily battle with the enemy of our soul. As Jesus followers we’re under constant attack from Satan and his emissaries as he relentlessly seeks to turn our thoughts and actions away from obedience to our Lord and Master.
Ron Hutchcraft spoke to this in a recent “A Word With You:” “Now, our enemy – the enemy of every believer in Jesus, every Christian church, every Christian family – has his way all too often. Not so much because he’s so strong, but because he exploits our tendency to fight each other and to forget the real enemy that threatens us all.
Someone said, ‘Christians are the only soldiers who form their firing squads in a circle.’ Isn’t it true! We shoot at each other so much; wasting our ammunition that should only be aimed one direction – at Satan and his forces.”
We’re so tempted to believe our spouse, or boss, or kids, or parents, or neighbors, or co-workers, or fellow believers or _____________ (and you can fill in the blank) is out to get us, to take advantage of us, to rob us of our way. We get so easily distracted by skirmishes that don’t deserve the time we invest in them, time that should be invested in reaching the very ones with whom we’re too often at odds.
Some of the most satisfying and redemptive conversations I’ve had with someone is when I’ve been willing to admit that I was wrong. Pastor Rick Warren wrote: “When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you first have to confess your part of the problem. Then you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective.
In every conflict—from our personal relationships to politics—we think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion. Anytime there’s a conflict, someone’s feelings were hurt; somebody felt abused or slighted. It’s not the idea that causes the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea.
Hurt people hurt people. The more someone is experiencing hurt, the more likely they are to lash out at everyone else. People who aren’t experiencing hurt don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful toward others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are filled with hurt are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.
As followers of the only perfect person who ever lived, we’ve got to keep our eyes, mind, heart, and strength focused on Him, realizing He’s the only Advocate we need to solve any conflict we’ll ever have.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 