Photo Credit: ashley rose, via Compfight

I have shocking news:

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT DON’T LIKE YOU!

Yeah I had to deal with that the other day when one of my colleagues got upset about something and yelled out that he didn’t like me and that he wasn’t the only one.

Being the quick witted person that I am, many people would probably think that I would say hurtful things in response, but instead I just laughed. I almost couldn’t help it…I laughed long and loud, it was such a pleasant release.

Perhaps I laughed because I thought it would be the most hurtful, or perhaps it was just that I already knew he didn’t like me, and I knew he and his group were talking about me behind my back, so the things he said to me hoping that he would hurt me didn’t surprise and hurt me, it was what I already knew…

What saddens me is that many people don’t realize that the same people that gossip WITH you will gossip ABOUT you…

the same people that gossip WITH you will gossip ABOUT you…

So anyway it doesn’t matter how sweet and kind and gentle and generous and lovable you are, there are people that don’t like you. Or perhaps they don’t like you precisely because you are all those things. The important thing is realizing that these people exist, and it’s okay.

It’s okay because disliking you gives their life meaning and makes them feel important – and it’s okay to help people feel important.

Most importantly it’s okay because you should never let other people be your source of value. It’s good to have good friends and family members who say wonderful things about you, but even if they don’t, you have to realize that you are valuable just because you are you. You are one of a kind, and there is no one else like you. If you were the only sinner on the planet Jesus would have still died for you – that’s just how valuable you are!

God cares about the little things that bother you (Matt 10:29-31), like trying to find your keys, or your missing sock, and big things that bother you, like whether you’ll ever get married, and whether you’ll be able to pay all your bills.

Like one of my favorite teachers says: if your co-worker and the president of your country invited you to dinner for the same date and time, and then your co-worker cancels because they would rather go to dinner with someone else, but the president decides he would rather have dinner with you than with some other president, you probably wouldn’t feel too bad about your co-worker canceling.

So even when people don’t like you, remember that God is always waiting to sup with you (Rev. 3:20)…and He’s much more important than any president.

So you still haven’t met “Mr. Right” that’s okay too.