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The Haters and Lovers in our Life
February 23, 2019

In the vernacular, people are said to have haters and lovers. Without touching on romantic feelings, these are the people who either do not like us for whatever reason, or they like us for whatever reason. Take any well-known person and that person will have haters and lovers. How important should haters and lovers be in our life? Should we strive to have lovers? Should we strive to have haters? Does having more haters or having more haters make us more righteous? I reflect on Galatians 6:10 that tells us to do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith. I have found this to be a useful foundation to build upon without regard to hater or lover status. I also recognize we live in a time of narcissism. Many greeting cards seem to equally compliment the card giver and recipient. Within this mindset are people who hate people who love God. Paul warns in his second letter to Timothy that in the end times people would practice self-love and disconnect from others, who in their quest for self-love will seem to be on a path of continous improvement, and yet will never be able to have the knowledge of the truth. Because these people live a life of folly, their folly will be made known to all.

2 Timothy 3:1-9
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

When writing to the Galatians, Paul reminded them that they should not be concerned with pleasing men, but rather pleasing God.

Galatians 1:6-10
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Paul reminded the Romans that if God is for us, no person can be against us. I suppose the opposite would be true also, that if God is against us, no person can be for us.

Romans 8:31-39
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shals he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As Christians, we need not focus on the haters and lovers in our life. Instead, we should focus that if God be for us, no person can separate us from the love of Christ. When it comes to lovers and haters, we need to make sure we are right with God so God and Jesus will be for us. We need not worry about pleasing men. In life it is likely we will have people who are our haters and lovers. That is normal. We should strive to do good to all, especially those of the household of faith. We should never be concerned when men hate us because we seek to please God rather than seeking to please men. Lovers and haters in our life will come and go. When we are right with God and Jesus, that relationship will be eternal.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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