A Reason to Be Nice

Luke 6:21-22

Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

Jesus said this. Yes, He did.

However, if people treat you crappy, but you are not really following Jesus, this doesn't apply to you.

Look, we grew up in a country and culture where most of us thought we were Christian just because our family went to church. That is not what Jesus taught.

A Christian is a disciple or student of Jesus Christ, alone. If you are not in His word, talking to Him or trying to know Him more in any way, you have deceived yourself.

I know it because I was once there. When I really reached out, I found Him to be true. Once that happened, I dove headfirst into understanding more. It is still my first and foremost focus.

Matthew 6:33

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Matthew 10:38-39

“And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Matthew 13:44-46

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Matthew 22:37-40

"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

If your heart is not madly in love with the one who died for you, do you really believe?

If not, then maybe folks aren't nice to you because you are not nice to them.