~Be Careful The “Hater” Isn’t “YOU”~

Posted on July 19, 2014 Updated on July 19, 2014

Don’t worry if you have haters; Jesus Christ was perfect, and they still hated him! What should we expect being imperfect?

Matthew 5:43-48

I think it’s important to first say a little about why loving your enemies is necessary. Jesus gives us the answer in verse 48. Based on everything that has gone before in this chapter (as well as the concept of loving your enemies), Jesus says you cannot be perfect without it. The word perfect in verse 48 comes from the Greek word “teleios.”   And while “perfect” is a good translation, I think it distracts from the meaning here. Another way to translate teleios is “complete” or “mature.” So what I think Jesus is trying to say here is if you wanted to be a complete person, or a fully mature human being, loving your enemies is something that you have to do.

“They hating on me!” or “Haters are going to hate!” are common phrases that some use to justify reasons why someone or a group of people have an unfavorable opinion of them or their activities.  The term “haters” has become popular in the last few years to describe others, but can you actually “hate” on yourself?  Read some ways the person hating on you could be in the mirror.

1. Comparing Yourself to Others – If you are constantly comparing what you have or don’t have to what others do or don’t have, then you may be borderline hating on yourself.  Comparisons may ignite low self-esteem and depression and have been one of the top five causes of why relationships end.

2. Not Listening to Your Inner Voice – Your inner voice, your conscience, or whatever you prefer to call it can be your saving grace for so many reasons.  Usually, your conscience is based upon your mind and body’s history and best practices in each situation.  Sometimes your natural reaction may not be your best reaction and it’s that inner voice that tells you to do differently. Listen.

3. Doing Just Enough to Get By – With the exception of trust fund babies, “self-made” successful people usually have a story of sacrifice, hard work, perseverance and dedication.  The only person “doing just enough” hurts is yourself.  When you can, do more, give more, show how much “more” you are than people realize.

4. Not Being a Man or Woman of Your Word – One of the quickest ways to get “realistic” haters is to lie about who you truly are.  Saying one thing and not following through gives a false representation of who you truly are. Don’t allow others the satisfaction of misinterpreting you. Give them the real “say-what-i-do-and-do-what-i-say” self.

5. Not Believing In Your Ability – We can sometimes be our own worst enemy.  Saying that you “can’t” or that something “never” happens to you is speaking to your own downfall.  Use words like “I can” and “I will” to verbally affirm your current and future positions.  Research has shown that those who visualize their goal on a consistent basis are 33% more likely to achieve those goals.

6. Saying That You Have Haters (When You Really Don’t) – Be honest with yourself:  are people really “hating” on you or are they telling you the truth?  Sometimes the truth hurts, but can lead to healing.  It may do you good to take a look at what the person says (not how they say it) and see if it’s true.  If it’s true, do what you need to do to be better. If it’s false, do what you need to do to stay strong.

Remember, announcing that you have haters rarely does anything to help your case, as nearly everyone has haters nowadays.  The differentiating factor is how you rise above despite your obstacles.