Dedication

I am officially dedicating this post to everyone who has been on the receiving end of a "hater".  To anyone who has ever been told that they are too short, too tall, too big, too small, too masculine, too feminine, too dark, too light, too ethnic, too young, too old, or too anything else...this post is for you.

Before I go further, please know that nothing has happened recently to spark this.  I just realized that I haven't touched on this subject yet.  I have been told many of the things I listed above, but it has been a while since I have heard any of them.


A "hater", for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is anyone who, for whatever reason, seeks to bring others down.  I don't know what motivates a hater, and I'm not going to try and speculate what their motivation might be.  For the purpose of this blog post, all I want to say about haters specifically is summed up by this picture (one of many similar pictures popular on the internet right now):

Interestingly, this picture also conveys, in a sense, the message I want to get out.  No matter what the haters say, keep your head up.  Don't give in and accept what they are trying to tell you.  Don't become a hater, yourself.  In fact, I'll go even further and say that you should genuinely pray for them.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
-Matthew 5:43-48

It is our responsibility as followers of Jesus, not to allow ourselves to be brought down by others, but to continually lift others up, even if they are the very ones trying to bring us down.  I know this is a difficult task, but know that I am praying for you, too.  May God grant you the strength to keep your head up.