“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

Matthew 5:11 (NIV)

Have you ever encountered a stranger who berates or insults you for no apparent reason? Someone who treats you with contempt though you don’t know them and could never have done anything to them to warrant such anger and hatred? If that person isn’t a Christian, they don’t have the Holy Spirit. If someone doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, then that means the spirit they do have is of the world, and we must remember that the spirit of the world hates God. Therefore, that person could treat you with disdain because of who you are in Christ.

When we encounter anyone who treats us poorly, we must love and pray for them. It doesn’t mean we have to hang around with them. Not only might they wonder why we don’t respond to them in kind, but they might also be turned around and saved. Still, if we consider that the spirit inside of them hates the Spirit inside of us, how much more should we be loving and kind?

Father, I praise you for who you are. Thank you for this insight today. Please help me to be loving and kind to everyone I encounter. No matter how they behave. Lord, let my light shine before them so they will see and praise you inside me. Thank you for doing this. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.