Do not ignore the negative, learn how to use it!
We have a creative spirit within that knows how to take advantage of every situation and circumstance. One of God’s prime development tools is teaching us how to move in the opposite spirit.
The teachings of Jesus known as the beatitudes are a prime example of how life in the spirit needs to be lived in this world. Luke 6: 22-35- teaches us the value of moving in the opposite spirit, when persecuted. We use what the enemy is doing to ensure new growth in the Spirit and a renewal of presence.
Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse (Romans 12: 4). When we are reviled, we bless (1 Corinthians 4: 12). The father reserves his blessing for those believers who are persecuted by their fellow Christians. The enemy seeks Christians who will support his work of anger, judgment, and criticism. He uses the flesh of the religious and the worldly minded to attack the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit loves conflict. He is a master strategist himself. If you are reviled for the name of Christ you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you (1 Peter 4: 14). It is simply not possible to be a prophet and live a life un-persecuted. Blessed are you, Jesus said, when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5: 11-12).
If you operate in the prophetic (the true prophetic where you see the will of God over a person’s life and you speak it into existence), there will be an ongoing attack on everything you are and all that you do. The religious person will persecute you because you are blessing a person who may be struggling in a certain area of their life. You will receive hate email. There are many people who operate in the prophetic that have been broken and disillusioned by the continuous assault. The Holy Spirit has taught me to rejoice, be glad and jump for joy. Not as a reaction against what is happening, but as a response to the promise that is present during persecution.
Every time I was maligned, something is added to my account in heaven. Your reward in heaven, is not just about something being stored up for the afterlife. It also means that resources are increased that you can draw on in this time-space world. The father rewards us for being persecuted. Maltreatment is always compensated. Persecution has a payment attached to it! Being harassed has a profit margin.
Sharing the sufferings of Christ is enormously rewarding (1 Peter 4: 12-14). The Holy Spirit has taught me only to focus on the benefits, not the drawbacks, of persecution. I am blessed and that blessing might be as tangible as the ill treatment. If only my detractors realized the important contribution they have made to my ministry, I’m sure they would be a horrified!
It is the area of personal growth in Christ where persecution has been so helpful. My level of personal revelation of Jesus has increased massively under human religious opposition. My teaching and writing is far more powerful now than ever before. Persecution pays off! It is in personal encounter with the Lord that persecution has been such a blessing. The Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
I have felt God’s kiss, his embrace and touch many times when aggravation around my life has come from the religious minded. I have received a love, joy, and peace so powerful on those days that I could barely move with the weight of God’s presence resting on me.
The Holy Spirit is a genius at warfare. He is so good at using what the enemy is doing for our advantage. He takes every negative and turns it around for our good. He shows us its opposite and then empowers us to become that in Jesus. It has become automatic for me now. I’m pretty fast at turning an insult into a blessing. Why be debilitated by a comment when you can find its opposite meaning and rejoice?
When a person insults you, saying you are naive, you respond by saying “hey thanks, I really appreciate that”! You informed me that I have an unaffected simplicity. That I am innocent and clever. I am honest, honorable and free from deception. I’m really encouraged!
We all have people around us who teach us grace and provide opportunities to practice the fruit of the Spirit. Who are the ones around your life and what are they teaching you?
Take every criticism and negative comment and find its opposite meaning. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you become that in your relationship with him. Practice smiling more. Look for the blessing and the reward, they are always present. Enjoy the challenge. The Holy Spirit is a genius in making things fun, funny and exciting.