287-God's Love Helps You Overcome Bitterness and Hurt#
287-God's Love Helps You Overcome Bitterness and Hurt
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic of sharing is: God's Love Helps You Overcome Bitterness and Hurt
John 1:1-13,
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! You lead us to Your presence, and every time we seek You, You will surely bless us. You know the needs of every heart and will provide for us in due time. Through our faith, You open our eyes to know You more. Through Your words, renew our thoughts and ideas, let us find comfort in Your words. No matter what harm we suffer, there is always peace in You. I am willing to receive Your words. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
There is much to say in the first chapter of John, but today we mainly talk about Jesus. No matter how many things are described here, it tells us that Jesus existed before the world was created, and the life that people have been searching for, the source of the Word, is the Jesus Christ we believe in now. All things came from Jesus, and all life also came from Him. He is the true light that everyone is looking for. If you feel that life, work, and existence are in darkness, congratulations, you have found the source of life.
What can solve this darkness is the light of Jesus. Let Jesus enter into you, and your life will be bright from then on. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are no longer a child of darkness but a child of light. Those who accept Jesus are blessed. To believe in Jesus is actually to bear witness for Jesus. Everyone has the right to choose whether to believe in Jesus Christ. Just as the Bible says, John came to bear witness for Jesus, but Jesus is the true light, and John is not. The witness is to let those who hear believe that Jesus is the true light.
One wonderful thing is that Jesus came to give us benefits, to give us His life, but people are unwilling to accept Him. The Bible says that the world was made through Him, and He came to this world as He should. He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. If you think about it from another perspective, if you were Jesus, everything in this place belongs to you, but the people here do not accept you, what would you do? If Jesus had a little selfish desire, He could have wiped out all these people because they are His own. But Jesus did not do that; Jesus used His own life to give this group of people life. This is the love of Jesus.
Just now, a sister shared with me that she finally understood why Jesus died on the cross while reading the Bible. No one could kill Him; He gave His life willingly. People are afraid of death, but the purpose of Jesus coming is to pay the ransom for us before God with His death. His death exchanged for our life. Jesus exhaled His last breath on the cross and entrusted His life to our Heavenly Father. No one else in this world, except Jesus, died like this; everyone else is unwilling to die, full of resentment and unwillingness. Only Jesus can decide His own life; others cannot. Only Jesus gave up His life to let us gain life.
Many people use songs and sermons to praise Jesus. Some say the ultimate goal is to make you love the Lord. In that case, it goes back to the past: Jesus loves you so much; shouldn’t you love Jesus? So you should forgive and love your enemies... It sounds simple, and I can tell you many rules, but after I finish, you will completely fall because no one can do all this. These words deeply move the speaker and touch the listeners, but they cannot be done.
If you want to keep God's commandments on your own, regardless of right or wrong, regardless of the outcome, unconditionally love, who can do that? Even for our beloved children, we may not be able to do this, let alone for enemies? It is simply impossible. If you give love like this, another thing will happen: people will get hurt, and after being hurt, bitterness will arise, and love will eventually turn into hate.
There are too many such situations in the world. We cannot do it; when we give love, we will also get hurt. Some people say, "It's better not to love at all, just take care of myself to avoid harm." This is impossible. Living in this world, we must interact with others, and inadvertently, we will be hurt by others. What to do? This is human weakness and lack. Please remember, only by coming into the love of Christ can you be completely released. In the perfect love of Christ, these pains can be completely healed. Only when you understand everything mentioned earlier, that it is not about trying hard to love others, but that Jesus has already loved you, receiving His love can help you overcome past hurts and bitterness, allowing you to live a life of love.
Brothers and sisters, please remember, in this world, being able to live out the love received from Christ is to love others. It is not about trying hard to love others or pleasing others; it is about receiving this love from Jesus and living it out. It is not that I do something for you; it is truly understanding that Jesus loves me like this. The life that inadvertently arises has already influenced others and brought comfort to them. Our lives are continuously lived in receiving the love of Jesus. Some say, "No, I can endure that so-and-so for so many years." Indeed, it is endurance.
1 Corinthians 13 says that love is patient. There is a long-suffering in love. Indeed, some people endure that person for many years in love, but is your love really patient? Is your love the same patience that Jesus speaks of? No, many people say, "Because I am a Christian, I will endure you; because I am a Christian, I will not argue with you." That is endurance. One day, when you can no longer endure, you may explode even more terrifyingly than those who do not believe.
There is indeed patience in love, but the patience of Jesus is not forced endurance. True patience is without complaint, waiting joyfully for the other party to understand. When Jesus loved us, everyone did not understand. Even when Jesus died for us, some mocked Him: "Aren't you the doctor? Can't you save yourself? If you come down from the cross, I will believe you." But Jesus did not argue; He just patiently waited for this group of people. What He thought was: The hard work I do, one day you will surely understand. This is also what Jesus often said to His disciples: What I am doing now, you do not understand, but you will understand later. Amen!
So have you waited with such a patient heart for the person you endure? That is, what I do for you, you do not understand, but one day you will definitely understand. This is Jesus' patience towards us; this is Jesus' love. Jesus is always waiting for us to turn back, accept Him, and follow Him. The patience that arises from love is true patience, but not all patience is love. Gritting your teeth in endurance, swallowing your anger, being numb and unfeeling, fearing to explode, are not love. Most people live like this. How to solve this problem? In Christ, you should not be bound by these.
Share the first point: Do not punish yourself for others' mistakes.
Many people in relationships have had this thought: to love others wholeheartedly, to endure everything, will surely touch the other party with sincerity, believing that giving love can change everything, but most may get hurt. This is very normal; you are not wrong. The wrong thing is that you continuously punish yourself with others' wrong views and attitudes towards you. We do not look at others, but at Lord Jesus Christ; He is our example. Jesus is the embodiment of love; Jesus is the best manifestation of God's love for the world. No one can love us like Jesus does, sacrificing for others. His purpose in coming to this world is to save us so that we can be saved through Him.
But what is the result? As we read earlier, He came to His own, but the people of this place did not accept Him. He is the light, shining into the darkness, but the people in darkness do not want this light. He faced rejection, scorn, and persecution from the vast majority. Is this Jesus' fault? Brothers and sisters, if you do not understand that this is others' fault, not your fault, you will get hurt. Sometimes, Jesus could completely defend Himself, turning others' views of Him around. For example, when the Pharisees gathered together, wanting to harm Him, Nicodemus, who had been taught by Jesus, stood up for Him.
Let us look at this passage, John 7:45-52,
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?" 46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!" 47 Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed!" 50 Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them, said to them, 51 "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?" 52 They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."
This is a debate. In this debate, it must first be established that what Jesus did was right and beneficial to people. However, this group of people had ulterior motives and sent two men to arrest Jesus. Unexpectedly, these two officers, after hearing Jesus preach, thought it was too good and came back. If you were one of those two officers who thought Jesus preached so well, why would you arrest Him? The Pharisees said to the officers, "Why did you not bring Him?" The officers honestly replied, "No one ever spoke like this Man." The Pharisees condemned them, saying, "Have you also been deceived? Look, among the rulers and Pharisees, is there anyone who believes in Him?" When these two heard this, it seemed to make sense; there was not a single official who believed in Jesus, so why should we believe in Him? When the officials slandered Him, it was easy to get hurt.
Sometimes you are clearly right, and others are wrong, but you keep punishing yourself for others' mistakes, saying, "Why am I like this? I did not meet the requirements of the Pharisees and officials." Then they say, "But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed!" Immediately, the officials began to curse that person.
Brothers and sisters, sometimes you give good advice, hoping she can have life and live better, but in the end, others curse you. Do you get hurt inside? After you get hurt, you no longer pay attention to her. Although this matter has ended, the bondage has begun. Some people's bondage lasts a lifetime, just because of something someone said to them in the past. Brothers and sisters, Jesus hopes we can untie these bondages, and these bondages can only be untied in His love. Amen!
In verse 50, there was an official named Nicodemus who said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"
Now the status is equal; they cannot curse Nicodemus, so they said, "Are you also from Galilee?" Do you know what this means? This kind of condemnation is even more terrible. When your viewpoint is different from others, they will say, "Are you from XX (a certain place)?" Do you know how despicable such people are? "Are you also from Galilee?" The implication is that there is no good person from Galilee. Why are you speaking up for the Galileans? This is no longer about right or wrong; it is just condemnation. Whoever dares to provoke him will be condemned. The officials have become like this.
"Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee." Is this traditional thinking? This past concept hinders us from accepting the grace of Jesus and obtaining life. Do not blame others; blame yourself. Brothers and sisters, to untie these bondages in your heart is very simple; just know that this is others' fault, not your fault, and that is enough.
In fact, Jesus could have called a witness meeting at this time, gathering all the Pharisees together to tell them about His testimony, detailing His growth process. Although He grew up in Nazareth of Galilee, He was born in Bethlehem, and His ancestors were David, completely in line with the prophecies of the Old Testament. Although He later went to Egypt and stayed for a long time, this was also to fulfill the words of the Scriptures.
Why didn’t Jesus explain these things? For those who do not believe in you and think to slander you, explaining to them will not work. No matter how Jesus explained, those who do not love Him still hate Him, and those who do not believe in Him still do not believe in Him. This is not His fault. To give love and provide help to others is enough; whether others accept or reject it, you should not get hurt. Hallelujah!
Jesus knew He was in the truth and that He was the light. No matter how others reacted, He still gave this love. Jesus also knew that no matter how many miracles He performed or how many sermons He preached, if their hearts did not accept it, it would be useless. So brothers and sisters, we only need to do one thing: however much you are willing to give, just do it, and leave the rest to Jesus! Just like Jesus' attitude towards the Pharisees and chief priests, Jesus knew this was not His fault. Many times, when we give our sincere hearts and do not receive corresponding returns, we get hurt. That proves that from the beginning, your giving was conditional. We should receive the love of Jesus and then give it out, so that you will not get hurt. Generally, after being hurt, people will doubt whether they did not do well enough. The way and words of those who condemn you may be your weakness or a fact you can never change.
For example, as mentioned earlier about a certain place, you can never escape this saying. Whenever others see you, they say, "The Galilean has come." No matter how high your achievements are, you are still a Galilean, and you cannot change that. When encountering these things, just act according to the truth; there is no need to care about the rest.
I want to emphasize that this is how we interact with others. If we also have faults that lead to others' misunderstandings of us, we need to admit our mistakes to others. But if we are acting according to the truth and others still do not understand you, even ridicule and mock you, do not get hurt because of this. You are doing this because of the Lord, and God will reward you. Jesus knows you; He understands you, and that is enough. You need to learn to overcome these environments with God's love.
We cannot expect to move the whole world to love us and accept us. Jesus already has enough confidence and has shown enough power. He loves everyone around Him with a love that ordinary people cannot compare to, but Jesus never deliberately tries to please anyone. The life of a Christian is high in posture, but our service is humble.
I have seen some people who always carefully speculate, striving to ensure that every word and action is what others want to hear and see. Their greatest purpose in life is to gain others' affirmation and acceptance. The more such people there are, the more easily they get hurt. When they do well in other aspects, if others say one bad thing, they will fall. Striving for everyone to accept you is impossible; even Jesus could not do this. We only need to act according to the truth. Wanting to gain people's acceptance and changing oneself is actually a kind of bondage.
Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."
If you completely establish your value based on others' evaluations of you, if you think that only applause, flowers, and praise make you feel useful, once someone opposes or disagrees, you feel like the sky is falling and you are in extreme pain. This is the meaning of this verse. The fear of man will trap you, and you will strive to create an image of humility and kindness, avoiding conflict with the world. This is a snare. If you are such a person, then you are the one mentioned in this verse who fears man. From now on, focus only on how Jesus sees you, what you are like in God's eyes; this is the most accurate definition. Just remember this definition, and you will automatically let go of others' wrong views of you.
Brothers and sisters, what are you like in God's eyes? Say it with me: In God's eyes, I am unique in the world, I am His pupil, I am His most beloved, I am righteous and holy. Hallelujah! Is this a fact? Is there a biblical basis for it? Yes, then it is enough. As for what others say, it does not matter; do not take people's words too seriously because people are changeable.
When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, the crowd shouted "Hosanna," praising Him as the one who comes from God. People laid their clothes and palm leaves on the ground for Jesus to ride over. Not long after, the same crowd loudly shouted, "Crucify Him! We do not want Him to be our king; our king is only Caesar." Never place your value on people because people's hearts are fickle; only our God is unchanging. In God's eyes, you are loved by Him, and you will be safe. Thank and praise the Lord!
Share the second point: Overcome the world with God's love.
1 John 5:1-4,
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Does this passage feel a bit convoluted? You are born of God, not a child of the devil; you are a child of God. How do you become a child of God? Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Hallelujah! John 1 says that whoever receives Him, He gives them the right to become children of God. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you become a child of God.
It also says that whoever loves the God who begot him will also love those who are begotten of God. This is twofold: on one hand, it means you are born of God, so you will love this Lord; on the other hand, you will also love your brothers and sisters who are born of God. Why did Jesus willingly die for all mankind? Because in Jesus' eyes, every person on earth is God's creation and should not kill, envy, or hate each other but should love one another. Tracing back to the beginning, we all come from one couple, from Adam and Eve; no one is born beyond these two.
If we love God and keep His commandments, what are Christ's commandments? They are different from Moses' commandments. Jesus Christ's commandment is to love one another. When we have the love of Christ, we can overcome the world, meaning you can face every person in the world, give to them, yet not be harmed by them. Brothers and sisters, I am not asking you to give with human love; that will indeed hurt and produce bitterness. I want you to receive the love of Christ, let Him give you the strength to love others. You can overcome your life with God's love, overcome others' misunderstandings of you, and experience God in freedom, peace, and joy. Just one principle: knowing you are walking in the truth is enough.
If you are truly walking in the truth, even if no one loves you or agrees with you, so what? You must have this determination, knowing that what you are keeping is Christ's command, the words that come from God. Even if the people around you do not understand, so what? Let the unbelievers continue to disbelieve; I still want to live in true faith. First, you must have this determination, and God will continually make your faith grow. The fear is that you start walking in the truth, but in the end, you are changed by those around you, pulled into untruth, and think that is the truth.
Jesus hopes we hold onto the truth and remember that the Father loves you. That is enough. When the time comes, God will prepare true friends for you. Do not think that if you do not do this, people will leave you and look at you with contempt. Let those who despise you leave early; God will bring sincere people to you. You must believe this; God can do it. The fear is always wanting to maintain wrong relationships. This point must be held in life and interpersonal relationships; the truth must never be compromised. We endure others with the love we receive from Christ, which is patience that arises from love, expecting the other party to change one day: "You do not understand now, but I will continue to pray for you." Even if they persecute me, I will still pray for you because I have already seen your change. I have the love of Christ, and love produces the fruit of patience. Hallelujah!
Jesus Christ is our example. In John 6, when Jesus gave people the Holy Communion, telling them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, most of those who heard the sermon left. Many thought Jesus was promoting cannibalism. At that time, Jesus did not explain; He almost offended everyone, and everyone angrily left. This was after He performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. Those people were pushing Him to be their king just a minute ago, and then they turned against Him.
Let’s look at this passage, John 6:26-27,
26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."
I just mentioned the background of this passage. Jesus had just performed the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, and everyone thought it was great, saying, "You are our king; you can surely lead us into freedom and abundance." They were still pushing Him to be king, and then Jesus said, "You must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood," and they could not bear it.
Why did Jesus say this? Jesus did not want people to spend all their energy on worldly eating and drinking. He wanted them to understand a more important principle of life, which is the way of eternal life. That is why Jesus began to speak of eating His flesh and drinking His blood, meaning to tell everyone that living is not solely dependent on food but more importantly on the words that come from God.
When we preach the gospel to others, lay hands and pray for them, and they are healed, these are not the purposes. The purpose is through these things to let them see God's love and understand that there is something more important, which is life. When Jesus preached that day, thousands of people left Him. They could not accept it. Today, when we preach, many people come and can accept what is being said, and their hearts will be very happy. But if one day you preach a message about life, a message that allows people to gain a more abundant life, and after you finish, everyone leaves, how would you feel? Most people would think, "I must have said something wrong; I should not have said this." If you come to this conclusion, it will definitely produce condemnation and bitterness.
What if everyone leaves? Jesus did not say, "Wait a minute, let me explain; do not misunderstand me. I am not asking you to eat my flesh; I am using a metaphor, referring to spiritual principles." Jesus did not say that; instead, He turned to the disciples and asked, "Do you also want to go away?" In the original text, there is emotion in it, meaning "You may leave too." Just think about it; did the disciples' hearts waver at that time? Could they not waver? Originally, there were about ten thousand people at the preaching meeting with five thousand men, plus women and children. It was a grand scene. When Jesus said, "You must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood," the people's reaction was, "What is He talking about?" and they all left. More than ten thousand people left, leaving only twelve. If it were only a hundred people leaving, it would still be acceptable, but more than ten thousand people left; could you not sweat? Could your heart not be shaken?
Brothers and sisters, can you believe that if you are in the truth, even if there is no one left, you still believe and act like this? If you have this heart, you will not be influenced by others, nor will you punish yourself for others' mistakes. You will be released in love. Jesus said to the disciples, "You may leave too." The actual tone was like this. At that time, one disciple said, "You have the words of eternal life; to whom shall we go?" Is it comforting to Him? In fact, in Jesus' view, it is a matter of time before you can understand. It is good that you can understand now! Even if you cannot understand, it is still good. Whether you can understand or not, in Jesus' eyes, there is no failure; He believes He is right. Hallelujah!
When interacting with others, we need to have the love of Jesus in our hearts. This is so different from the principles of dealing with people today! I dare say that not many people can receive such words today. If there are opposing voices, some may leave the church, some may say you are a heretic, and some may say you are wrong...
If everyone leaves you, it will definitely make the pastor feel depressed and unable to sleep all night. Because I have experienced this before, I have shared my pastoral experiences with everyone, but now I will not feel depressed or unable to sleep because God has brought me through this. When I first preached grace, there were very few people; the church had only about ten people. Suddenly one day, two aunts brought four new believers to me and said, "You are wrong; you should balance the law and preach God's judgment..." They kept trying to correct me, saying I was wrong.
I told them, "What I preach is in line with the Bible." In the end, they took the two people they brought away. At that time, there were only ten people, and suddenly four were taken away. I could not accept it at that time; I had just started pastoring, and my little heart could not take it. For three days and nights, I could not sleep, feeling extremely depressed. Although I knew what I preached was correct, I still could not accept it. Later, I prayed like this before God: "Lord! If I am wrong, I am willing to repent, but if I am right, I want a confirmation. Four people left; I want You to return double." The next Sunday, when I went to preach, my heart was really anxious because there were only a few people left. But that day, God gave me eight new people who accepted the Lord Jesus. That time was a confirmation from God.
What I want to say is that it is not about the number of people; it is through this matter that I saw the Father's affirmation of me and knew that what I preached was in line with the Father's will. Many times, it is because we care too much about how others see, say, and think that we are completely limited by others' comments, and instead, we are bound by them. If you are currently in such bondage, I suggest you receive the love of Christ. You can find promises in the Bible, see how the Father loves you, and see what the Son of God, Jesus, has done for you. When you understand all this and repeatedly think about it, you are in the love of God, and you are free.
So you should focus more on how Jesus sees you, how the Father loves you, so that you can experience abundance in life. Jesus does not want us to live in the world of people because everyone's viewpoint is different. Today, people can say you are good, and tomorrow they can say you are the worst person, an ungrateful person, because blessings and curses can come from the same mouth. Because they are human, do not place too much focus on people. Do not let others define your life; your life can only be defined by Jesus. Amen!
We should let Jesus be our best example. God loves the world, and He let His Son Jesus become flesh and come to the world, sacrificing for us and bearing all our sins. His love for people is unique, but Jesus does not rely on people's praise and recognition. Although He desires our recognition and praise, He does not depend on it. Many times, we rely too much on this. Once we receive contrary answers, we begin to think, "Am I wrong? Did I not do well enough?" This produces bitterness. Expecting others to recognize you is a good thing, but do not depend on people's recognition.
John 8:28-29,
28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."
Where is Jesus' focus? If Jesus placed His focus and the results of His work on these disciples, He would be disappointed. If He placed it on this crowd, He was already disappointed, right? Although these disciples followed Him for three and a half years, saw countless miracles, and ate and drank with Jesus, what happened in the end? The key is to gain the life of Jesus. Jesus knows that this group of disciples is still unreliable. When I say unreliable, it does not mean Jesus cannot give His life to you; it just means Jesus cannot rely on your recognition. Here, Jesus says, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He," which indicates that they do not know yet. Although Peter once said, "You are the Son of God; You are the Christ," that was just a verbal statement; he had not truly experienced that He is the Christ in life.
I do not expect you to know the love of Jesus Christ for me; I am already very grateful if you can say this. I expect you to experience that Jesus is the Christ and how He loves you; your life will be completely different. Hallelujah! Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself." Did Jesus do many things in this world? Although they were all to save us and love us, most people still opposed Him.
They even used the most vicious words to attack Jesus, saying, "We were not born of fornication," trying to find fault with Jesus' preaching. They could not find any fault in Jesus' character, so they used the most vicious way in the world to say, "I know who my father is; you do not even know who your father is." How provoking is that? No matter how many miracles you perform, how many people you save, or how many people you love, in short, you do not know who your father is. Once you cannot bear it and accept these people's condemnation, you cannot continue speaking.
In terms of truth, character, and conduct, there is not a single problem with Jesus, but they said, "Who is your father?" Can you explain clearly? Jesus cannot explain clearly. How can He tell them? "I was conceived by the Holy Spirit," but it cannot be explained clearly. Therefore, Jesus never explained this matter. He knew where He came from and where He was going. Knowing this is enough, so He could continue to love this group of people. Even when this group of people slandered Him, He could still love them. Jesus said, "I do nothing of Myself; I say these things as My Father taught Me." This is why Jesus succeeded; He completely followed the Father's will. Whatever the Father told Him to say, He said; whatever the Father told Him to do, He did. How others see Him is not important.
If you can live like this, your life will definitely be abundant, and your success in this world will also be very simple. This is the best way to overcome the pain, condemnation, and hurt in life. Please remember: you cannot please everyone; you cannot make everyone happy and have everyone applaud you. So when problems arise, if the fault is not yours, and you cannot change it, then accept the evaluation from God with peace. Do not live by the standards of the majority because people have selfish desires that will affect your judgment. Live by the words of the Bible as your standard.
Whether others recognize you or not is a good thing because the Father recognizes you. The Bible clearly says that if you give to others and they do not return to you, the Father will reward you. If you hold onto the truth, the devil will be afraid and will rise up enemies to attack you for the purpose of taking away your blessings. So after you know this, rely on Jesus to live. You should not say, "Is it that I am walking the wrong path? Should I not believe in Jesus? Bad things keep happening at home; it would be better not to believe in Jesus." The devil hopes you think this way. When you see this point, you should say that this path is real and correct, so I will continue to walk it. The devil wants to hinder me from entering the land of abundance.
2 Timothy 3:12-15,
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
This passage is Paul's advice to Timothy, and now I also give this passage to you. In this last days, when you desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, you will also suffer persecution. And this persecution, which we can see with our eyes, may come from family and friends, or it may come from the person we respected the most in the past. In fact, these are the devil using these people behind the scenes. You need to see the real situation in the spiritual realm from the world. Only those who do not believe, who are unwilling to live godly, and who are evil deceivers will grow worse and worse. This means that today they deceive you, and tomorrow they will be deceived by others. Do you want to participate in this? You live godly, not according to the ways of the world, but according to God's ways, and you will definitely suffer persecution. What to do? You need to see that God has greater blessings for you.
Verse 14 gives us encouragement: But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. Brothers and sisters, do not build your faith on any one person. If this person speaks in accordance with the Bible, you must listen; if this person speaks beyond the Bible or violates the Bible, do not listen to them. Because you are not following a certain person, but Jesus. So Paul encouraged Timothy, saying that you must keep in your heart what you have learned and been assured of. You must know whether the truths you hear come from the Bible. If they come from the Bible, you will have the wisdom of salvation because you believe in Jesus.
What does salvation mean? Do not think that salvation is entering the kingdom of heaven; that is too simple. Salvation means that Jesus will save you in everything, that God will make a way for you in everything, and that He will turn your situation around. That is called salvation. If you fall into a pit, how can it be considered salvation? Someone pulls you up; if you are trapped in trouble and bound, someone helps you untie it, that is salvation. In everything, you need to rely on Jesus, especially when facing persecution, tribulation, or being slandered by others. You need salvation at this time. You need to come before Jesus and see how He evaluates you. When people are indulging in fantasies, unfaithfulness, conspiracies, and swimming freely in darkness, the light of Jesus suddenly shines in, and everyone feels uncomfortable. This is a normal phenomenon. The question is: are you willing to start following the light from today? This is the key.
Some people say, "I have done bad things, but I do not feel the condemnation and guilt you speak of. Why do you believers always say you are under attack?" Many people do not understand: look, those who do not believe in the Lord harm others, steal, and defraud others, and they do not feel guilty at all. Yet Christians often say, "I am attacked by the devil again, I am weak again, I have fallen again, and God is disciplining me again." Why do we have so many issues? The reason these people do not encounter those things is that they walk with the devil. We encounter these because the devil stands against us, while Jesus walks with us.
If they try to change direction and walk with Jesus, they will understand what we mean. This is what Jesus said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." You are in the truth, so the devil wants to pull you into darkness, but he knows he cannot overcome you because you have known the truth. Brothers and sisters, starting today, you need to believe in Jesus and hold onto the truth. Only such people will face some persecution. If you are persecuted, congratulations! If you are persecuted for holding onto the truth, you are blessed, for your reward in heaven is great. If you love and forgive on your own, you cannot do it at all. But if God's love exists in your heart, receive as much of God's love as you can, and live with that love, regardless of whether the other party is right or wrong.
Jesus forgave those who slandered Him under the cross. Today, you are the same. If you have the love of Jesus, you can also forgive those who maliciously hurt you and have ulterior motives. But if you give love and others do not understand, do not condemn yourself, and do not get hurt; your glory is great. Jesus tells us that when you invite people to dinner, do not invite the rich; invite the lame, the blind, those who cannot repay you. If you invite these people, they cannot repay you; the Father will repay you.
What I mean is that when you give, do not think that people will give you equal returns. What you expect is that the Father will give you greater returns. Your focus is not on this earth, expecting people to give you a little return. When you give to others, expect to say, "Lord, I gave to him, and I gave it because You love me so much and have given me so abundantly." Use this free love to love others. Remember: do not let anyone influence your path to blessings; be firm in your steps.
Just like Paul said, everyone is running in the race, and there is only one focus: Jesus Christ, who has already reached the finish line. Do not let those around you influence your journey because these people are not in the race. Know your goal: to run towards Jesus; He is our finish line. As for what others say, it is not important at all.
I have shared in the series of 1 Corinthians that Paul once used a metaphor: everyone is running in the race. When you are running in the race, are your spectators all supporting you? Some may say, "With such short legs, what are you running for?" Do not be influenced by these people's words. Short legs do not mean you cannot run first. Be firm in the truth you believe, and then continuously receive blessings and grace from God in Jesus Christ. Be firm in your steps, receive the words of Christ every day, and rely on His love to overcome all environments, enjoying freedom in His love.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for allowing me to receive freedom and release through such words. I cannot place my focus on people. In the past, I suffered some bitterness and hurt. I know that You love me the most, and Your love is completely unchanging. You recognize me and have accepted me. Your greatest expression of love for me is letting Your most beloved Son Jesus die for me. I am willing to receive this love, meditate on Your love, and live out the part I have received. Please lead me, and I am also willing to use this love to influence those around me. It is not by my own efforts, but by expressing the love of Christ, so that those around me can see the beautiful testimony of Jesus. Thank and praise You! All glory belongs to You. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!