Not Of This World

In John 14, we saw that Jesus left to prepare us a place to live with Him. That means we do not belong to this world. We have a better place waiting for us. So as we travel through the place we have to remember that we will experience those that aren’t so friendly to us.

Sure, in the U.S. it may not be as obvious as say, China, Iran, Egypt.. just to name a few countries that have imprisoned and/or killed Christians. Just look at the first-century church, they were burned at the stake, crucified, thrown to the lions, and more. John the only disciple that died of natural causes was even boiled in oil.

As we read in John 15, that since the world hated Jesus we should find it no surprise that those who are walking in the world hate us too.

I think one of the nicest compliments that I ever got came from a lady that lived across the street from me. Her family had left her. She struggled to make ends meet. One day I saw her sitting on a footstool in her front of her house cutting the grass with scissors. I felt sorry for her and waved thinking I was letting her know someone cared.

The next thing I knew she was standing outside of my gate yelling at the top of her lungs in a rant that lasted about 10 minutes. The neighbor next door came to see what was going on. She went on about how I was not from this world, but I needed to go back from where I came from.

When she was done I looked her in the eyes and thanked her for saying such kind things about me.

She shrieked and went back to her house. She didn’t continue to cut her grass but went inside her house.

The whole time she was yelling at me the verse John 15:19, kept going through my head;

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

We need to remember what Jesus said about how the world will treat us. We are just passing through and have something better waiting for us.