(John 15:17-18) These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me before it hated you.
Doing right will
not make everyone love you. Hate comes so naturally in this world and the more
you look and act like Jesus Christ the more many will naturally hate
you. So, be prepared for hostility and persecution so that you will not return
it in kind. Prepare yourself to respond instead with love, grace and truth.
(Proverbs 10:12) Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth
all sins.
Responding with hate always aggravates problems. Wrong
actions only stir up strife, discord and division.
Love covers transgressions. Love never makes wrong right,
but it does put it in perspective and allows us to work on resolution. “Love
bears all things…” 1Corinthians 13:4-8a.
We need to be asking ourselves this question.
How do we move from defensive reactions to loving actions?