A Thought

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”  John 15:18-19

It is a matter of who – or what – has claim to the better part of who we truly are according to what we are willing to give.  No one I know wants to be “hated”, yet Jesus says this hatred is inevitable – meaning we can earn the respect of “the world” by living according to the integrity of the Scriptures, but “the world” will have no real use for us.  However, if we are willing to follow every trendy thing in order to fit in or be “popular”, the world is at our service to “love its own”.  This is a distinction disciples of Christ should flee from!

We must remember that the Church (which is the Covenant for those baptized into this Covenant) is chosen “out of the world” for the Lord’s own purposes, but we must decide whose purposes we will ultimately serve and whose love we will seek, whose approval we desire – for “many are called, but few are chosen”.

Blessings,

Michael