Being Hated for His Namesake....

Have you ever had one person in a group decide to intensely dislike you for seemingly no reason at all? This is the first time as an adult something this strange has happened to me, even though now that I think about it, I do have a similar story to share where a group decided to not like me. Chile, God has brought me through! This is my story:

Over the summer, I was hired at the same time as another woman to perform the same job duties as me, at the place where I am still currently employed. At first when I met her, I thought she was a little 'different' but I did not dislike her. I knew right away that she was not a believer, but that was not a strike against her either.

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

To make an extremely long story short, from the beginning, since we were hired at the same time, this other woman latched onto me like we were best buds, girlfriends even. It was intense, and I decided I had to create some distance between us, while maintaining professional friendliness.

She was not happy about not being able to call me on my cell phone after work, or at home, but she seemed to deal with it. From day one, she was having a very tumultuous relationship from with her cubemate, and I helped to mediate that fiasco with another Christian co-worker to iron that out. The mediation seemed to be successful.

What I did not know was that this woman pretended to be my friend, (too friendly, really) but she was stabbing me in the back to my co-workers!! It seems that she transferred her mental and emotional hatred from her cubemate to me! I did not know about this until after she was out for a week for 'falling on ice' on the grounds outside of the workplace, and then my co-workers started talking about what she was doing and saying behind my back. I was absolutely floored!

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help"

I had been nothing but very nice to her..I lent her money, I was a confidential shoulder for her to cry on (on many days) when she felt life was kicking her down, I witnessed to her about the saving grace of Jesus Christ, I helped her understand different concepts about the job that she was struggling with...and here she was slandering my name behind my back.

"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."

Well, my co-workers all like me very much, so they just tolerated her rants about me, but no one ever told me what was going on until she pulled her 'falling on ice' scam. Then they told me that she had "reported" me to my recruiter, and that she was badmouthing me to everyone who would listen. Talk about feeling hurt, confused, and betrayed... by all of them!

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do..."

They decided to do some research and found out on the internet that this woman had a very colorful criminal past....but it was in years beyond the background check. What?! I prayed for God to give me the right attitude, the strength to forgive them for not telling me what was going on, and to love everyone in spite of all of OUR flaws.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

I started to pray for this woman and my co-workers...it wasn't always easy to do, but I did it. Later on, I remembered from the Word that when you put your trust in God, and pray for your enemies, they can become confounded in their doings.

"Touch not my anointed, do my prophet no harm."

This particular woman for some reason stepped up her attack against me when she returned to work. She came back to work not blatantly speaking to me at all, like I had done somethng to her! She tried to spread malicious lies about me to my co-workers, but unbeknownst to them, God opened their eyes, and let them see her for what she truly was.

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

She carried on so much nonsense, and kept trying to stir confusion in the office that a couple of weeks later when my boss had to make a "budget cut" who do you think got the ax? Ha, ha! Praise Him!

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."


I have to admit, that I was not sad when the Lord got His vengeance! But even still getting "let go" was not enough to open her eyes to see the error of her ways. She then sent letters to 2 of my co-workers slandering me, trying to get them to turn against me. She even sent a letter to our recruiter's boss stating that he had been unfair to her, favoring me, and even insinuated that he was was having an unprofessional relationship with me! My goodness, of all the stupid things to make up!!!

Well, that was the straw that broke the camel's back did for the the company that hired us...they told her under no circumstances was she to initiate contact with me, or any of my co-workers or even with the recruiting firm--they were done with her!

Do you think she has been awakened to the error of her ways yet? I sure pray that her hardened, jealous heart becomes softened, to allow God's love to reach her and transform her.She needs serious prayer folks: At one point early on, she told me that she had once been a Christian but turned her back on it, because God did not seem to do anything that was ever beneficial for her, so it was a waste of her time and effort. When she said that, I was thinking: Huh!? Hello? Was waking up this morning not enough? You poor, poor dear.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."




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