As Christians, it’s natural to oppose lies or any other kind of ungodly acts, but does this mean it’s okay to hate? The Holy Spirit, itself, *opposes lies and ungodly acts so when we’re walking in the spirit, it’s natural to feel turmoil when we’re around anyone or anything that defies God. This is really hard when that person just happens to be someone we’re close to, like a family member. It can cause unbearable strife, which is exactly what Satan wants.
Satan would love for us to hate the person who is bringing us such strife. He would be accomplishing a lot if he could get us to hate, so he uses one of his best tricks by quoting scripture. He reminds us of the verse, “Jacob I loved and Esau I hated,” hinting to us that if it was okay for God to hate, it’s okay for us to hate. When we read that verse we should remind ourselves that God knows things we’re not capable of knowing. He not only knew Esau before he was ever born, but knew him during and after his life. The amazing thing is, He knew all this at the same time. He knew all along exactly how Esau was going to turn out.
We, on the other hand, may have known a person in the past and thought he was an okay person, and now in the present he has become unbearable, but we have no idea how he is going to be in the future. We have no idea if God is working in him right at this very moment, or if he might even end up being one of God’s most faithful followers. This is why it’s not okay to hate anyone. We are full of faults and sin ourselves, and when we hate someone it’s like requiring them to be perfect, and that’s not very fair. Only God is perfect and only He can truly judge a person.
It is, however, okay to hate or be *opposed to the things a person is doing, and sometimes we actually need to distance ourselves from that person because they are interfering with our own walk with God. Being around people who defy God definitely clashes with the peace we should have in our souls. When we feel ourselves losing this peace it’s a sign our faith is in danger, so we should have nothing to do with anyone who threatens it. This does not mean you hate the person.
Don’t let Satan fool you into believing that it’s okay to hate people because they’re “evil” or convince you that by distancing yourself it’s because you hate them. You can continue to love them and pray for them without having to be around them. Don’t buy into Satan’s lies!
It is written, “If a man says I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20
*Hate - “to oppose yourself against.” (Strongs # 7852)
Love sinner, hate the sin, right? :)
ReplyDeleteGod told me something very poetic this morning:
"The good kings have the sweetest bowls, so wash yourself with honey and vanila.
Let your lips be honey, your touch be chocolate, and your breath vanilla."
This was after I had asked Him how to love like He does.
I think He wants us to be around those who do against Him though, because we're supossed to shine our light for our brothers and sisters in the dark to see, aren't we?
If we only are around those who praise Him, none of us are helping the fallen.
I didn't use to be for Him, but a friend of mine was, and seeing how she lived, and how she acted, I wanted to be like that too.
That's a very nice way to remember how to love the way God does. Especially the "lips of honey" because the way we speak to people and about people is so important. I'll have to remember that. :o)
ReplyDeleteI understand completely what you mean about being around people so we can shine the light, but there are some instances where we need to distance ourselves physically. One, is when we're just "babes" and haven't built up enough faith ourselves to shield ourselves from Satanic attacks, so we need to try to avoid being in situations that threaten our faith.
But distancing yourself doesn't always mean physically. Sometimes we have to live with people who threaten our peace and our faith. I like to picture in my mind that I'm holding a shield (the shield of faith) and whatever my family members do or say cannot get past that shield. You kind of have to block them out to a certain point. This means putting your emotional and intimate ties with them aside for a while, (mentally) so that their actions don't affect you as they normally would. You literally have to kind of block them out, but continue to show them love and kindness and pray for them. It's not easy, especially when you love that person. That's why Satan likes to attack us within our own families.
Then there are other times when you just cannot continue trying to shine the light to people who will not receive it. In that case, the Bible says "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matt 7:6
This is exactly what I was talking about when I said your faith is at risk. Some people just trample your words under their feet and it tears apart whatever peace you may have. Then you really do need to turn it over to God and go on your way. Unfortunately, this sometimes could be someone in your own family.
You start to know instinctively when you need to distance yourself either physically or mentally from certain people. The Bible says, " And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." Matt 10:14
The bottom line is, never allow anything to tear down the bond you have with Christ, whether it's strangers, situations, or even family members. If it gets to that point, you need to protect the most precious thing you have in this life and do what you have to do.
Yeah, I guess e can only do so much at our level of faith. We lay the seeds, but God makes them grow. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to distance myself emotionaly from my girlfriend(who is VERY anti-religion), because she always pops into my mind and I always think "I wish she could see this", or "I wish she was here" , but I know she would just tear me down.
I wish I could just sever her from my heart, but I've known her for ~3 years, and I suppose life wouldn't be such a test if I didn't have some type of "sandpaper" to shape me into what God wants.
If I lived a life unopposed in God's love, I would never be tested to find out how deep and supporting it is.
I would never know what it feels like to be crushed and thrown away by those I love most, and to be picked up and restored by a love greater than any human's.
Besides, we are called to love all, especially if they hate us back.
When she starts being hateful toward me or God, I just close my ears and focus on God's love.
You are very wise for your years and you seem to have a strong handle on things. I applaud you for submitting your will to God in spite of how much pain it brings. That's why so many people find it hard to submit their lives wholly to God, because it does bring a lot of pain. I've had to distance myself from my own children (mentally) because they oppose what I believe. It tears me apart, but I pray for them every night and of course, I love them with all my heart.
ReplyDeleteI just want to let you know I may not be posting anything for awhile. My laptop is in the "shop." I tried to install a driver for a webcam amd it did something to it...I can't get it to turn on any more. I'm praying they will be able to fix it cause I'm lost without it. I'm at the library right now. :o)
You stay strong. You are in my thoughts and prayers. :o)
I miss you... =(
ReplyDeleteHi Mikey,
ReplyDeleteI'm here...I just haven't gotten back to being able to post more articles yet. I apologize to you and to anyone else who might be reading this. I have been without a means to be able to post anything regularly for some time now and I am so very sorry. I am hoping that will be remedied soon. I sent you a message, which I hope you have received, giving you my private email because I miss you too. You have been in my thoughts and prayers, and I pray you have been staying strong with the Lord's help.
I will be back posting on here soon, Lord willing. Take care and God bless you, and everyone.
Love,
Zina
I didn't get your message. =(
ReplyDeleteTry sending it to:
mikeykrolick@gmail.com
=)