#HopedealersSample

Day 8: Haters Gonna Hate

When you decide to tell your story, some people are going to come at you. And the more you tell it, the more you get your story out there, the more people will decide they don't like what you're doing and will speak out against you, either to your face or to your circle of friends or supporters.

And you know what? That's okay.

It doesn't have to affect you.

Some people just don't understand the importance of vulnerability. It makes them uncomfortable. Or maybe they know they should be telling their story but they don't want to, so they feel convicted. Or maybe they're dealing with some hurt or pain or addiction in their own lives and they don't like the reminder that your story brings. They aren't ready to deal with it yet, so they try to drown out the noise by bringing you down. Or maybe they don't get why you're doing what you're doing, and so they lash out. There can be all kinds of reasons why people bring in negativity, but those reasons are theirs, not yours.

When you decide to become a HopeDealer negativity will come. Just accept it and keep dealing. Because ultimately people hate on what they don’t understand. And a HopeDealer, devoted to sharing the pain of their past for the sole reason of helping others, can be hard to understand.

When people hate on me, I try not to take it personally. They aren't hating me; they're hating the Christ in me. I'm reminded not only of this particular Beatitude that we used to start this chapter, but also of the following few verses that Jesus uses to tie a bow on the Beatitudes. Here they are:

“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." (Matthew 5:11-12, MSG)

If we HopeDealers are serious about being Christ-like, then we must emulate Christ, a Man who knew He was going to be betrayed by one of His closest friends and still told that friend to do it, a Man who was convicted of a crime He didn't commit and who, when He had the opportunity to defend Himself in court, said, "It is as you say."

He let them hate, when He knew all He had done was love.

That's the difficulty of living as a HopeDealer. But once you've started to deal hope, there's no other way to live. So slap on the blinders, set out to tell your story, and just stay focused on the path in front of you. There are too many people who need what only we have!