23 March | Youth
«Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines.» 1 Samuel 23:28
Jesus never forced anyone to love Him. We should not, therefore, expect everyone around us to accept or appreciate us. It would be naive and unrealistic, don't you think? Our wellbeing does not need to depend on the reaction of those who choose to ignore or despise us, even if they are our neighbors, colleagues, superiors, or family members.
Hatred and antipathy are inhuman attitudes, but quite common! Analyze David's example. Before being crowned king, he was persecuted by Saul, who envied him. David's good reputation and the affection that many people had for him aroused the worst feelings in Saul (1 Sam 18:6-9). David had the chance to get rid of Saul forever, but he did not, because he did not want to act as a vigilante and take revenge on the enemy with his own hands (1 Sam 26:9). Yes, enemy. Good people also have enemies. Jesus had them. Some individuals will become your adversaries “for free.” What can we do? It was like this with Jesus, it was like that with David too; why would it be any different with you?
Your challenge is not to fight them. God does not ask you to do that. Your challenge is to love these people, and sometimes the best solution is to simply take a break. David turned away from Saul. Abram distanced himself from Lot. Mordecai did not seek to be friends with Haman. For a while, Paul decided to work without Barnabas and, due to a disagreement, he fell out with Peter too, remember? Keeping your distance is not a perfect solution, but it can prevent bigger problems. A wise distance could, for example, have prevented Cain from killing Abel (Gen 4:8) and Absalom from taking the life of Amnon, his sister's rapist (2 Sam 13:28-29). When everyone follows their own path, and the paths of those who disagree no longer cross, many evils can be prevented or eased.
The Bible's advice is clear: revenge belongs to God (Rom 12:19); “as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (v. 18). Do you accept this challenge today? David accepted it, which is why he was the greatest king Israel ever had. And you, what will you do? Suggestion: focus on what is worth it, dedicate your time and emotion to those who really care about you and learn to deal with negative feelings, whether your own or those of others, remembering that “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).