Speaker 1
It's a distraction. Instead of getting upset, instead of feeling badly about yourself, remember, they don't talk about ordinary people, they talk about exceptional people. They wouldn't be talking about you unless you were a cut above. Take it as a compliment In a race nobody focuses on the people in last place Nobody finds fault and criticizes those that are bringing up the rear all the focus is on the winners That's where the attention the study and the analyzing the critiquing is if people are critiquing you find in fault trying to discredit you It's because you're winning you're out front. You're making a difference. I've learned the more favor on your life the more Opposition it will stir up Some people won't like you simply because of the blessing God put on you This is what happened with Cain and Abel. They were Adam and Eve's two sons. Cain ended up killing Abel. What's interesting is Abel honored God with his life. He was a person of excellence. He went around being his best. He had God's blessing and favor on him. He never did anything wrong to his brother Cain. He didn't disrespect him, didn't cheat him, didn't lie about him. Cain hated Abel simply because of the favor on Abel's life. You have to accept the fact that some people will not like you and there's nothing you can do about it. It's not about you, it's about the favor God put on you. I've heard it said this way, the more vertically aligned you are, the more you honor God, the more horizontally challenged you'll be. A vertical relationship can create horizontal conflict. Can you deal with the fact that not everybody can handle your success? Not everybody will celebrate God's blessing and favor on your life. You have to be wise enough to realize these people don't like me, but it's not about me. I'm not going to be offended. I'm not going to spend time seeing how I can win them over, loose sleep thinking about what they said about me. No, I'm not gonna waste my emotional energy on something that I cannot change. I know it's because of the favor of God on my life. That's how you keep your walls built up. Think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. When she said yes to the angel, that she would have a baby without knowing a man, she had to accept the fact that she would be misunderstood by some people the rest of her life. The blessing as great as it was brought controversy. It brought opposition. She was celebrated by some and looked down on by others. There are times like Mary, you have to accept the fact. I may be misunderstood by certain people. They may try to push me down, make fun of me, but it's not about me, it's about the blessing God put on my life. The real question today is can you handle being blessed? David faced this, as a teenager, he was out in the shepherd fields taking care of his father sheep. One day his dad asked him to take lunch to his brothers that were out in the battlefield. They had a much more prestigious, exciting position. David was stuck taking care of sheep. When David arrived with the food, you'd think the brothers would be appreciative. I mean, he was doing them a favor, but one of the brothers named Eliab tried to embarrass David. He said in front of all the men, David, what are you doing here? And with whom have you left those few sheep? He was trying to belittle David, make him feel small, discredit him, he was saying in effect, David, you're not important, you're a shepherd boy. Don't be surprised if God's favor on your life stirs up opposition in other people. It will stir up envy, jealousy, criticism. There was no reason for Eliab to be jealous. David was younger, smaller, out in the shepherd's field. In other words, making minimum wage. Eliab was in the army. He had training, expertise, influence. Why was he spiteful? He could sense the favor on David's life. And I'm sure David was tempted to be offended. Get upset, discouraged, thinking, gonna pay him back. No, David understood this principle. The scripture says, David turned and walked away. He ignored the insult. Why? He had his walls up.