Consider this story…

There was son became estranged to his single father. The father worked many hours to take care of his son and daughter and was either unable or too tired to spend the time with them that he would have liked to. The son resented his father and felt the he was never there, but the daughter understood.

Both children went on to accomplish great things because of their father’s sacrifice.

The son would often give credit to everyone along the way who helped him but never his father. The daughter not only honored their father, but would often plead with her brother to be reconciled him. The father’s grandchildren also went on to accomplish great things. The grandfather would watch on television as his son and grandchildren were often recognized for all they did. Neither the son nor his children ever visited the father, but dad still had joy in his heart as he looked on all they had done.

One day the daughter told the dad she regretted how her brother treats him, and she wouldn’t give up until they were reconciled.

She also asked him how he had such peace. He told her that he appreciates her, and that he gets enough joy from her love for the both of them. He then said just because his son doesn’t acknowledge his sacrifice or love doesn’t take away the fact that everything he’s accomplished was because of him. It doesn’t take away the fact that his son or his son’s children all came from him.

The father said,  “Would I love relationship and acknowledgment ? Of course! But, I have peace that I did right by the responsibility God gave me, if my son chooses not to give me love, honor or acknowledgment, is between him and God…I’m at peace.”

In the same way, Jesus shows His love to those who don’t appreciate His sacrifice, acknowledge Him, love Him or honor Him. He allows the sun to shine on the just and unjust. That’s why the bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”(Psalm 107:2)

It’s our responsibility and should be our joy to tell the world how much we appreciate the Lord Jesus, and let the everyone know what He’s done for us and them. Just as the daughter made it her mission to make sure her brother was reconciled with their father, that’s what God expects us to do with His children who don’t acknowledge Him…

2 Corinthians 5:20

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”

It’s our responsibility to make sure Yeshua get’s joy for His sacrifice and let Him know how much we appreciate it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all have people in our lives that no matter what we do, they just don’t like us. They may even hate us. These people have become to be widely recognized by the urban colloquialism, ‘HATERS’.

Sometimes it may seem that your ‘haters’ have the upper hand on you. Their lies, their conspiring, their backbiting, their ignoring you, their tactics are rewarded at the cost of your reputation, your relationships, your success, or your peace. Always remember that we were saved only because Jesus’ haters were allowed to temporarily have the upper hand. In fact, He let them think he had won because His eye was on the big picture…

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Joseph of Genesis was strategically placed in position to save his family through haters…

His brothers…

Genesis 37:4 (NKJV)

⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

Potiphar’s wife…

Genesis 39:11-15 (NKJV)

¹¹ But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, ¹² that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. ¹³ And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, ¹⁴ that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to ^[a]mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. ¹⁵ And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”

The truth is that God uses our ‘haters’ to help fulfill our purpose. They are designed to enhance and strengthen our relationship with God, to mature us, and to position us to fulfill His purpose for our lives.

So, I want to give you some quick encouragement for whenever you’re dealing with the haters in your life. I want to remind you that they treat you like they do because they actually see value in you…even though they may act as though they don’t

HERE ARE 3 REASONS YOUR HATERS ACTUALLY SEE VALUE IN YOU

YOU DON’T WORK AGAINST PEOPLE WHO DON’T THREATEN YOU

Exodus Chapter 1 quickly reminds us of why Egypt subjugated the children of Israel after being granted refuge there…

Exodus 1:8-12 (NKJV)

⁸ Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; ¹⁰ come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. ¹² But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

Many times your haters treat you as they do because they are threatened by the anointing on your life. They are threatened by your influence over people. They are threatened by your gifts and talents. They are threatened and annoyed at your level of peace. The demons inside of them are aggravated by God’s spirit living inside you…

Luke 9:42 (NKJV)

⁴² And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

Jesus was crucified by people who witnessed and were threatened by His miraculous power and anointing. The sad thing is that they could have been healed, delivered and saved by that power if they had the right attitude.

YOU DON’T IGNORE PEOPLE YOU IGNORE

Have you ever deliberately ignored someone as a child (or as an adult)? You put your hands over your ears and close your eyes saying, “Naaa Naaa Naaa Naaaa Naaaa, I can’t hear you!” Many times we can become frustrated because our ‘haters’, people of influence or those from whom we seek attention purposefully ignore us.

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Remember this, you can’t ignore someone you don’t notice. Ignoring someone is a deliberate action. Ignoring someone is not the same as not noticing them. Not noticing is innocent, while ignoring is deliberate.

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They next time you can clearly see someone is ignoring you, your gifts, your anointing rather than feeling annoyed…be flattered.

YOU DON’T USE PEOPLE YOU DON’T TRULY VALUE

Have you ever felt as though you were being used? Many times your haters feel they can benefit from what you have to offer, so they try to manipulate, conspire, coerce, or take advantage of you to their advantage. This is a subtle, but obvious affirmation that they do see value in you. If they though you had no value, they wouldn’t even give you a second thought after noticing or encountering you. But, once you notice what they’re doing, you can use it to your advantage. When people think you’re naïve and your aren’t, they’re actually the one’s being naïve. Remember, God can use your enemies to put you into position for your purpose. Check out this link for more on this…THE BLESSING IN WHEN SOMEONE IS TRYING TO ‘USE YOU’…

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So, be careful not to let the enemy to allow your ‘haters’ to provoke you outside of God’s character. They are actually a confirmation of the fact that you are His purpose driven child.

And, remember what our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Christ Jesus said…
Matthew 5:44-48 (NKJV)
^{44 [a]}But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your ^[b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the ^[c]tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

BE BLESSTIFIED!