“They are going to do all these things to you because of the way they treated me, because they don’t know the One who sent me. If I hadn’t come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn’t be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. Hate me, hate my Father—it’s all the same. If I hadn’t done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn’t be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Interesting—they have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written, ‘They hated me for no good reason.’ John 15:21-25 The Message

There will be people in your life who will just not like you. There’s never a good reason, but it happens more often than you think. Think about it, Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed, but they hated Him. Why? He said it was because they didn’t know the One who sent Him. I was a little doubtful when I read that, because I know Christians who hate. But I got to thinking about it and realized that those who hate really don’t know God.

How can I say that? Because when you truly understand that God is Love and know Him as your Father, you can’t hate. You can hate the evil and the one who instigates evil, but you can’t hate people. They’re merely tools in Satan’s hands to do his bidding and fulfil his plans. It’s like hating a screwdriver because it can’t turn itself. It’s not the screwdriver, it’s the operator who’s at fault.

Stop trying to excuse yourself. Stop trying to excuse the person whose actions are hurting you. Begin to pray for them that they will know the Love of God and submit to His will.

Let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who loves not, knows not God for God is love. Beloved, let us love one another. 1 John 4:7-8

Sandy G