No Place For Hate
No Place For Hate
As much as we casually throw around the word ‘hate’ in everyday conversation, it might be a good opportunity to explain what we actually mean by the term when we use it.
The Bible reserves the concept of hate to mean only one thing: to desire the destruction of another! This is terrifying considering how many times I’ve let that evil word slide easily from my tongue. But once I learned the actual meaning of the word ‘hate,’ when I was a young mother, I chose to scrub it from my children’s vocabulary, hopefully, forever.
My girls never said ‘I hate you’ to one another, for which I am grateful. I like to think that this is due to the deep love, loyalty, and affection they hold for each other. And, as young mothers themselves, they can pass on what they learned to their children. Whenever I hear children or adults casually cast out “I hate you” in moments of conflict, it actually affects me adversely because I am aware of the negative wish for harm being carelessly declared on a fellow human.
As I observe the state of our country, I see that the nation has become more and more polarized to the point where I hear friends readily comment, “I hate those liberals” or “I hate that Trump!” It makes me cringe to hear how this sentiment is easily thrown around. How about you?
In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus commanded that we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second part of His command instructs us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” How is this possible if words of hate are used against someone?
Many find it easy to follow the first part of the command, but struggle with the second. But God loves even those we would call our enemies. So, if He loves them, then so must we.
Let Us Walk in His Way.
Dear Lord, it’s challenging to withhold bad feelings, especially from those we believe have hurt us in some way. But do we actually hate them to the point of wishing destruction upon them? Lord, help us see them through Your loving eyes, and release us from our judgment of them, to a heart that’s more like Yours. This is hard to ask, Lord, and can only happen because of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
