Spiritual Change

Have you ever wanted to call down fire from heaven? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. Like the disciples, we are tempted to torch our enemies when they hate us.

I was only 12, but when the old man next door made a rude remark about my “plumber’s syndrome” when I had outgrown a pair of pants, I got a bad case of “I’m gonna get you back.” As that man called me names, he had no idea that behind my blue eyes were visions of his fields burning to the ground. While I didn’t do that, my friends and I did wait until nightfall. We took white paint and tagged his cattle with derogatory statements on their black hide. Although it’s one of my favorite childhood memories, and my friends and I laughed our heads off as he chased his cows around with a hose, it was not the right way to handle a hater.

What is? To continue what you are doing for the Lord. Hold tight to your reputation and testimony. Pray for your haters and keep serving the Lord. Too many people let detractors stop them from their calling. That’s not you.

Take a lesson from Nehemiah. When his enemies came to heckle, mock, and threaten him as he rallied the people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, he didn’t get scared or discouraged. He didn’t quit. He armed his people and told them to continue to build as he and others kept watch for an enemy attack.

When your haters come after your reputation, testimony, ministry, family, business or blessings, arm yourself with the Word. Take a page from Nehemiah’s playbook: pray and continue working to please God. His opinion is the only one that matters.

Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:4-6