Let me say this plainly… there comes a point where you have to grow up spiritually.
There comes a time and place where we just have to grow up. Not age-wise—spiritually. Emotionally. Mentally. Because a lot of people are walking around calling themselves Christians while still holding on to grudges, bitterness, and straight-up hate like it’s justified. And I need to say this with love, but also with truth: you don’t get to do that and still claim you’re walking with God.
You don’t like them. They don’t like you. Okay. That part is human. Nobody said you have to be best friends with everybody, laugh with everybody, or invite everybody to dinner. But what you don’t get to do is decide you’re going to hate them, disrespect them, or secretly wish bad on them while still asking God to bless you. That’s where people get it twisted.
God didn’t say, “Love people who are nice to you.” He didn’t say, “Love people who agree with you.” He didn’t say, “Love people who never hurt your feelings.” He said love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. And that’s the part people want to skip over because it’s uncomfortable 😬. That’s the part that requires dying to self.
You don’t have room on your plate for hate. You just don’t. Hate takes up space that love, peace, wisdom, and discernment are supposed to fill. When you choose to hate, you’re choosing to operate outside of God’s character. And a lot of folks want God to move, want God to fight, want God to expose people, but they aren’t even standing in line with Him. You’re asking God to cosign behavior He already told you not to operate in.
And let’s talk about this real quick—because it needs to be said. Wanting God to “get” somebody while you refuse to love them is not righteousness. That’s pride dressed up as spirituality. That’s ego pretending to be discernment. And yes, sometimes that’s a Jezebel-type spirit at work—manipulation, control, offense, self-righteousness, and a refusal to submit to God’s actual instruction.
You cannot say, “God, deal with them,” while ignoring what God already told you to do. Love them. Pray for them. Treat them with respect. Not because they deserve it—but because God does. You’re doing it for Him, not for them. That’s the part people miss.
When you decide to be a Christian, you are choosing a walk that goes against your flesh. Period. You don’t get to keep your old reactions, your old grudges, your old way of clapping back, and your old desire for revenge. That all has to go out the window 🚪. This walk requires maturity. It requires restraint. It requires humility.
Loving people when it’s difficult is not weakness—it’s obedience. And obedience is what keeps you covered. You don’t have to like everyone. You don’t have to trust everyone. But you do have to love them. You do have to stop carrying hate like it’s justified. And you do have to stop asking God to move on your behalf while you’re actively moving against His word.
At the end of the day, alignment matters. You can’t be out of position and still expect God to operate fully in your life. Love is not optional in this walk. It’s the foundation. And if that makes you uncomfortable… then maybe that’s the area God is trying to grow you in.
