Bless those who persecute you...

Ever have a situation where someone, or maybe a group of someones don't like you?  You don't know why, you didn't say anything to them, in fact if you could piece together ten sentences you had spoken to them in your entire knowledge of their existence you would be stretching yourself.  Beyond the courtesy "Hello, how are you?", well you just haven't interacted with them.  I'm sure you have, I don't think anyone over the age of five hasn't.  I find this mind-boggling, when I think about it in the natural.  When it is even more, confusing is when it happens within the church body.  When one Christian or set of Christians commit this against another.

Recently, I have been dealing with this.  I realized that this is an opportunity.  I am counting it pure joy, just as James said.  You know the scripture, it starts out the book of James for the most part, it's the second verse of the first chapter, "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations."

Let's dissect this a bit, he says "trials of any sort".  Pretty broad statement.  He doesn't say, when the world comes against you.  When secular folks attack you.  He says "any sort".  That includes unwarranted disapproval from our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In fact, this test is probably the hardest of them all.  We expect them to hold themselves to a higher level of behavior or attitude, yet they are humans.  They are plagued with a sinful nature.  Just like me and just like you.  That  is why they need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, just like me and just like you.  So what is the test?  How am I going to choose to respond to this "rejection."

I can choose many options, the selection is like a menu of wrong attitudes I could develop and cultivate in response, and the "world" wouldn't blame me.  However, Jesus would.  Here's a sampling, I could:
1. Shun them
2. Start a smear campaign
3. Speak negatively of them every opportunity I had, with the cover of "Let us pray for them."
4. Say nothing, yet harbor a grudge

Oh the list could get really, really long.  How does God say I should respond?  Let's turn to the book of Hebrews for the answer.

First, I need to remember that these things happen the most when I am seeking to follow the Lord, wholeheartedly.  The devil is still out there, and he is still roaming around like a lion seeking someone to destroy.  How does he destroy us?  By getting us to respond incorrectly to circumstances, especially if the negative circumstance is being inspired by a brother or sister.  Remember, they are being use of the enemy to get to you, and to tear down their Christian walk as well.  Plus, if new Christians see this behavior, if non-Christians see this behavior what does that do to their concepts of who we say we are vs. how we act?

I am running a race, my goal to become the child of God that He created me to be and become more like Christ everyday.  In Hebrews 12:2, "Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].  He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Italics mine)  Endured and ignored the shame is what Jesus did for me, can I not do the same?

Go on to verse 3, "Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself, [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. (Italics mine).  See it's in my head that all this gets blown up and out of proportion.  If I keep it in perspective, comparing it to what Jesus went through for me, it's nothing and I will continue to do what is good, and walk the road of righteousness He lays out before me.

Skip to verses 14 and 15, "Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.  Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God's grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it -" (Italics mine).  This tells me that I am susceptible to getting grief from anybody, Christian and non-Christian.  However, if I don't keep my response correct, I am not pursuing His holiness and bitterness starts to build up within me.  Subsequently, the people I come in contact with are affected by it and may be thrown off to pursue the wrong path.  Do I really want the pressure of that responsibility?  Do I want to stand before Jesus and have to answer to being the person who was responsible for showing a new Christian the wrong way to handle strife?  Do I want to have to answer to being the person that caused someone to say, "See that's why I don't bother with Christianity, look at her, that's how they act.  They talk about love, but they can't even be loving towards each other."  Not for me, no thank you.

Now, go to Romans 12:14, "Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.  Again, this is an all-inclusive statement, I am to bless people no matter how they treat me, or what they do or don't do for me.

Verse 16 says, "Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks.  Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits."  Clearly when we start to think too much of ourselves, start to become self-righteous we are in danger of breaking this command.  We fall prey to the enemies tactics, convincing us that it's okay because look what that person is doing.  Yet, how is this living in harmony.  As well, if I start looking at ways to get back at the person or people who are ill-treating me, how am I living in harmony?  Am I not thinking of myself better than them, in a sense?

Verses 17 & 18 continues, "Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.  If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."  (Italics mine)  There it is again, live at peace with everyone, and guess what it depends on me not the person attacking me.  Paul is saying, there is a way to live in peace with all people.  Let's go back to Hebrews... Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus.  That's the answer, right there.  Look away FROM the backbiting, the ugly looks, the finger pointing, or slanderous comments, and look TO Jesus.

Let me skip to Romans 12:21 to cement this, "Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good."  (Italics mine).  Only I can allow myself to be overcome by evil.  Moving back to the book of James, I'll wrap this up.  James 4:1, "What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you?  Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?"  Sensual, means sentient. The archaic definition of sentient is the conscious mind.  So what leads to all that James was speaking of?  The conscious desires within our mind that are consistently at war with Holy Spirit which is within our bodies.  This is why we must have a complete renewal of our mind, if we are to truly serve the Lord.

Why do I count these attacks as joys, like I said before?  Because, it gives me an opportunity to see how far I have progressed with the Holy Spirit.  I can see, am I more like Jesus and less like me, or have I stubbornly dug in my heals and refused to mature?

So next time someone or a multitude of someones comes at you, look away from them, look to Jesus and pray to Him, "What can I do to bless this person or these people?  For, as Your word prescribes I choose to bless those who are persecuting me, just as You did."

Heavenly Father,
So often it is difficult for us to give up or let go of the harmful daggers and arrows others throw at us. Lord, help us to remember that these come from the enemy ultimately.  Let us don our armor, wearing it consistently so that we are protected from each and every attack.  Let our actions and words be pleasing in Your sight Lord.  We thank You for allowing us the ability to come to You with these things and giving us a way out of every temptation, as Your word directs.  Each and every day let Your Holy Spirit guide us.


In Jesus name,
Amen