Believing in Matthew 5:11-12

I've always been pretty soft when it comes to people talking about me behind my back. I was never the popular guy in school, and over the years I've developed a thicker skin. I've always been insecure about my looks, and try to put in to the back of my mind. Although, it still cuts deep when someone says something about me that isn't cool, especially if I know it's not true.

What gets me even worse, is when I don't even know who the person is. Maybe it's just some random guy in school that saw me with a girl he liked, and decided to target me. Sometimes it's that guy from work you've never talked to, and suddenly you hear that they don't like you, and you're like... what?

This time, it was a faceless, nameless, anonymous, blogger comment.

I won't paraphrase, I'll just paste exactly what they said.
Disclaimer: If you reeeally don't like foul language, don't read ahead. 

Anonymous said...
"You're such a pretentious dick.
If people like you go to heaven, I'm glad I won't be there."

I have no idea what triggered this person anger in my last blog. Either they know me and just don't like my point of view, or they saw the blog, and got upset. Either way, I won't pretend like I understand the motive.

I've received comments like this before, on the blog, on facebook, email, text, you name it. Sometimes I did something while on a worship team that someone didn't like. Maybe someone didn't like the way I pray on 3SN's "Prayer time" (that actually happened). This time though.. I really don't know.

I'm pretty confident that I'm not a pretentious guy, and I have people commend me on my ability to accept others as they are, so on the one hand I'm like, okay, this person obviously needs to pull things together a little bit better, or they're seeing me in a bad light or something. On the other hand, I'm thinking, did I really hurt this person? If I did, I feel terrible. It's made all the more frustrating because I'll probably never know who this was, or why they said what they did.

So I'm left without an easy solution here, because as thick as my skin might get, these things are still going to get through. All I can do is keep trying to become the man of God I know I should be, and look to his word.

This time, his word says this.

Matthew 5:11-12
"11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kind of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

  If a few harsh words from the mouths of people who don't know my heart are going to push me a little bit closer to where David, John, and Moses are kneeling before God.. bring it on.

Kyle Jenkins 3SN

How do you deal with being hurt by the words and actions of others?
Comments below!

Forward motion.

  Sometimes I find it hard to get over things. I mean seriously, I grab onto things that happen in the past. I grab on to them and go "no no no no no, that didn't go well. Do over. DO OVER!" I grab on to things that went great, because I think I'll never have anything as good as what I had then.

  What am I left with at the end of all my struggles? Nothing, because those things are gone, and all my passion, energy and faith stayed there, where I left them.

This scripture speaks pretty powerfully to my situation. 

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

  This scripture is amazing and encouraging, but it's made even more relevant to me (and a little ironic) in that I actually create my own suffering.
  By gripping the past tight, and not leaving room for God to do his thing, I'm creating my own suffering and saying to God, "I don't believe in what you have for me in the future."

  Do I seriously not think that God is using my situation? If I don't believe in what he's doing now and in my future, how can I possibly claim to others that he was active in my past?

  It's not about whether things that went good or bad in my past were my fault, or anyone else's fault. They happened, and God doesn't tell us he's going to make life easy, or fix everything, or give us what we want (and what we probably like to think is best).

  Not only is it remarkably difficult to place blame on someone and be satisfied with that, but it's not our place to try to dictate the fates and decisions of others.

Life sucks sometimes. C'est la vie. 
Coming to terms with that, and finding the good in the mess, is a beautiful thing. 
Give me your thoughts in the comments!

   Kyle Jenkins 3SN

///the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.///

What I did today.

Uhhhh, I walked around at kempenfest for a bit. Not really a ton of fun. Just a bunch of people selling over-priced knick-knacks.
I saw a poster at a booth that I wanted to buy. Price tag $400.
Nope.

I went to this booth that they had at kempenfest where you can make fajitas for free. I like Fajitas, and I like free. Here's the Recipe:

I went to this Poutine place on main st. Triple pulled pork poutine. Pretty much the best thing I've ever put in my mouth.



I also messed around with my new loop pedal.

For whatever reason, the text has texted blue and it's underlined.

I can't get rid of it because this Blogger website hates me, so I guess we're just going to deal with it.

I had some pretty good time in worship today too, before coming in to 3SN. I'm going to be overseeing a  young adults worship ministry this year, and I was figuring out what songs I wanted to introduce. Wound up zoning out for an hour or so to Hillsong's "Glorious Ruins" album. God is good.

I also just started up a painting company, so I had to take a few calls regarding that.
WARNING : Shameless self promotion ahead.

Revelation Design. Based out of Barrie. We're like, really really good at painting.

Call me. 705 717 8462.

I also teach guitar. 705 717 8462. Cool.

Finally, I walked into the LIFE100.3 office to do 3SN, and find some ... Oh, hold on. 

Nevermind. Fixed the blue/underline issue.
Ya, walked into the LIFE office to find some kind of Videogame-apalooza going. LIFE100.3 employees working hard.. to kill of of the alien invaders.

That's it, a day in the LIFE.