Why Old Friends Hate You

1 Peter 4:3
For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

1 Peter 4:4
They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.

1 Peter 4:5
But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Apostle Peter tells us that in the past when we did evil things we were loved and supported by certain friends. When we were enjoying life at the expense of success in school or a good financial future they cheered us on. As we enjoyed party after party they loved us and praised us as people worth respect and honor in society.

Debauchery is a combination of the use of alcohol and engagement in sexual activities. These are the things that made us popular and happy. When our motto was that we only live once. The negative effects of alcohol and careless multiple sexual activities were masked by the emphasis that we were having fun. Friends helped us to keep away any advice that condemned our ways or that would make us feel guilty.

Orgies like debauchery are all about private parties with excessive abuse of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc., and indiscriminate sexual activities. Many of them are disguised as birthday parties or a celebration of this or that event. These parties introduced us to people and things we should be ashamed of but friends ensured we are not ashamed.

Carousing has to do with alcohol drinking and other drugs in a loud and lively way. Loud music. Loud clubs. Loud bars. Loud parties. That is carousing that the Bible condemns. As the loud music threatened our eardrums, we were cheered on by friends that we are living the ideal life.

Then one day by God’s grace you came to your senses and you quit that way of life. You reformed. You even went to the Rehabilitation Center and you were assisted to detoxify and start all over again. You got re-baptized and you joined the church as an active member. You reorganized your finances and started activities that promote your future. Your focus in class improved and your grades started improving. These were and still are great changes.

How did your former cheering friends react to the new positive changes in your life? The Bible says that they get shocked when you can’t join them in what they call a fun and ideal life. They wonder how anyone can resist such an invitation to parties and such a great life. They can’t believe that you no longer find attractive what they badly look forward to. They get jealous that you have overcome the addiction and are living the life they secretly wish to live.

The Bible says they are surprised that you can’t join them in wild living. Their reaction is that they start abusing you. If they can’t attract you into their short-term happiness and long-term regrets, they hope to scare you into it, by intimidation and abuse. Therefore, they do not abuse you a little bit, they come with a full-scale attack hoping to overwhelm you into going back into their way of miserable life masquerading as fun. The Bible says they heap abuse on you!

They heap abuse on you also as a warning to others who are attracted to your new way of life. They scare others so that they do not make that decision that you made. They abuse you because they thought they owned you but now you are free from them. They abuse you because they wanted to perish with you as a group. They heap abuse on you because you are now better than them, they hope abuse will paint you in a bad picture so that they comfort themselves.

This is not only true among those who abuse drugs and live a wild life of party after party. It is also true among people you were poor together just waiting for the same salary or wages. When you make changes to walk out of that poverty, they will attack you ferociously. It is also true among friends you were getting low grades together. When you make efforts and your grades change, they will attack you.

This is true among fellow single people, who cheer each other in rejecting proposals for marriage and setting unrealistic standards. When you emerge out with a relationship, they will attack you with a heap of abuses. This is true in many settings, progress will attract hatred and attacks. You will get a heap of abuse.

The Bible further tells us that they will account for that abuse. They will not avoid punishment from God. By heaping abuse on you, they attract the wrath of God on themselves. As they heap abuse on you, do not respond, do not give up, and do not despair, God will respond on your behalf. God will ensure they give an account for why they abused you. They will pay for it. But for you, keep up the good changes and go on to become someone great and successful beyond your expectations, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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