Day 2404 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Matthew 5:11 NIV

To be hated. That's definitely not something that people are looking for these days. But I am. I'm not afraid of it. I'm not worried about being judged or ridiculed. This is going to sound weird, it even feels weird to type it: I want to be hated. Let me tell you why. I have lived a life that was dependent upon external validation. I have set my sights on gaining the approval and justification of those around me. And I know how utterly useless and damaging it can be. So I'm headed the other way.

I had this thought hit me a while back and it's become one of my personal rules to live by. This world will judge us no matter what we say or do, so give them something to judge. Give them something to hate. You see, it is better to be hated for doing what's right and standing out because of it than to be loved and applauded for going along with the evil around us. That's something that so many have forgotten in our world. People are willing to go along with whatever everyone else does just so they don't face the harsh reality of being hated for being different.

But there will always be someone who disagrees with something we say. There will always be someone who hates something we do. This world and those who are lost within it will always be able to find a reason to judge anyone who is different. So I figure that if I'm gonna be judged anyway, I may as well make sure I'm being judged by the sinful for not playing along with their wicked games anymore. The way I see it, if we're judged and hated by the sinful then maybe we're doing something right.

The problem is that our society doesn't know how to see it that way anymore. Nowadays we're led to believe that if someone doesn't like us or disagrees with something we say or do then we must be doing something wrong. We've gotten it in our minds that if we're not loved and accepted by the world around us then that means we're messing up. This place is built so heavily on justification from peers that that's become our sole focus in life. But what we fail to realize is that we have to lose far too much in order to gain that approval.

Maybe I've gone off the deep end. Maybe I've rounded the bend. Maybe I've lost my mind, but I honestly don't care if this world hates me. I think perhaps one of the problems with our modern Christianity is that not enough people do hate us. We've watered down the Gospel so much in order to make it inclusive that we've lost the entire message of the Gospel. We need to get back to the cold hard truth that we're all sinners in need of repentance. We need to get back to living courageously for our faith in a world that doesn't like it. We're not here to make friends, we're here to make disciples.

What we have to understand is that we cannot be loved by a world that celebrates sin and follow a Savior that died because of it at the same time. So be bold. Live out your faith without restraint. Speak the truth always no matter who hates you for it. Point to Christ even though you'll be judged for it. This world's moral compass is so broken that it's amazing people can find their way home. So being judged by a world filled with sin (and okay with) means nothing. The opinions of a broken society mean nothing. Have the courage to be hated for your faith because that means you'll be in very good company!

Just remember what the next verse goes on to tell us. "Because great is your reward in Heaven." Our reward isn't a life spent basking in the praise of a fallen world. Our reward is a Heaven filled with people who heard the Gospel and were saved because of it. Don't trade that eternal goal for temporary comfort.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold