But you can still hate Mondays.

What a morning!  I looked at my Christian Facebook page and all I see is "I hate this person" and "I hate that person"  Is hate the way of the world? 

Can Christians hate?  Of course.  We should hate sin, but love sinners.  We should hate evil and love good.  We should hate the powers of darkness but love the light.  That is who we are supposed to be.  Jesus is the light of the world.  In Him there is no darkness.  We need to let His light shine through us.

But worldly "hate" is darkness.  "Hate" is evil.  "Hate" is sin.

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

And what good is worldly hate anyway? Does it make the hater feel better?  No.  Does it make the hated feel good?  No.  It has no good purpose and has no place in the Christian life unless it is directed at sin and changes the darkness to light and love. 

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12 

Worldly hate is stirring up strife and causing deaths and division in the United States and all over the world.  Is it solving our problems?  No. Posting hateful messages on Facebook seems very cowardly to me.  There is absolutely no good purpose served by posting these messages or saying them out loud, or yelling them at a protest.  Worldly Hate serves no purpose!!! Remember this!

As Christians, we need to show that 'hate' is not the way to solve our problems.  Communication, talking, telling the person that you say you 'hate' what it is that you supposedly 'hate' about them may or may not solve the problem but you will have done the right thing and shined a little light into that person's life.  
Usually what we 'hate' is an opinion, belief, or a comment.  If that is the case, then you don't 'hate' the person, you hate their beliefs or how they speak or act.  Let's be clear.  What exactly do we hate and how can we express that in a way that is loving and shows the light of Christ?  


 But don't think you can get away with 'hate' because you think you are in the right.  If you are hating a person, opinion, someone words, feelings - you are wrong.  If you are hating sin (but NOT the person sinning) than that is right.  Anytime your hate is directed at a person - you are wrong.

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.  Leviticus 19:17

In this scripture it is obvious that they were having a disagreement, but we are still told not to hate the person or we will be the one sinning.

Are we being the right example or are we being just like the rest of the world?   The only way to combat hate is to show love. If the hate is in your heart, then prayer is the way to go.  Practice love everyday in every situation.  People may 'hate' you for it, interestingly enough, but it is the only way to show the world that there is another way and that way is through Jesus Christ who loved us enough (even when we 'hate') to die - gave His life - for us. Would you jump in front of a car to save someone evil, hateful and mean?  Jesus died for you and for me and you know we are not always loving and kind people.  Sometimes we are full of worldly hate.  

 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.John 15:18
Worldly Hate solves nothing, finishes nothing, gives nothing, improves nothing, uplifts nothing, makes no one happy, cures nothing, wins nothing, encourages no one, stops nothing, changes nothing, and just plain doesn't help. and God hates 'worldly hate'.

 

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19
 
These all come from a place of hate. Don't let your feet make haste to run to hate.  Don't be in a hurry to judge and then to hate.  Don't cause other around you to hate because you started a heated discussion. 


Again - Worldly Hate serves no purpose! We know better and now, more than any other time in the history of this world, we MUST act as Christ would act and change any 'hate' that we are feeling to properly reflect our love of Him. Hate sin, love the sinner.  Hate evil and love good.  Hate darkness, but love the light.  Show the world a better way by your behavior in all situations. 

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1 John 2:11

Worldly Hate Serves No Purpose 
But you can still hate Mondays.




 





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