Do not nurse hatred in your heart (Leviticus 19:17; NLT ).
Introduction
Hating others is very common nowadays. Hateful speech and actions are present in our streets, schools and workplaces, in newspapers and online, and wherever there is disagreement, conflict and war. Some countries are even having to introduce detailed legislation about who we should not hate.
Sadly, such legislation can generate bitter arguments about who has been included, and who has been left off the list. So how can we deal with this issue in such a way that everyone can understand it, follow best practice, and help to make the world a better place?
A simple answer
The answer is very simple: Don’t hate anyone. Don’t even judge anyone. Instead, love everyone, just as the Bible teaches.
Three steps
This might sound like a huge challenge, so how can we learn to do it? I’ve broken the process down into three steps, which take only a few seconds to follow. These three stages can be summarised as: STOP, SORRY, and LOVE.
Step 1: STOP
The moment we notice ourselves having a judgemental or hateful thought (or feeling, or impulse), towards someone, whether in the flesh, on TV, in a newspaper, or online, etc, we need to say, “STOP”, to ourselves immediately. As Saint Paul writes: “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5; NIV).
Step 2: SORRY
Next, we can say, “Sorry, Lord”, before replacing our judgement with thanks to God for the person concerned, then asking God to bless them. With regular practice, this process becomes an inbuilt reflex the moment we catch a judgemental thought entering our mind.
Step 3: LOVE
The final step is to make a conscious choice to love the person. If circumstances allow, we can smile at them, or say, “Hello”. If appropriate, we can make a pleasant remark to them, or, if needed, offer our help in some simple way. Let’s make their day a little better for having crossed our path. Remember that if the person isn’t physically present, we can still pray for them.
Developing a new habit
To begin with, we might not become fully aware of a judgemental or hateful thought until some time after the moment has passed. We don’t need to beat ourselves up about this. Instead, we can still recognise what we have done, say we are sorry, ask God to bless the person, then pray for them.
With practice, the conscious recognition of unwanted thoughts will come more quickly after each event, until eventually we are able to deal with our judgemental thoughts and feelings on the spot, whilst the person concerned is still in sight.
Exactly the same approach applies when we have critical or hateful thoughts about someone we read about, or see on TV, or who simply passes through our minds unbidden.
With practice, this method of noticing and correcting our judgemental and hateful thoughts gradually becomes an established habit. Critical attitudes and impulses towards others wither away, unrewarded by our attention and indulgence.
What the Bible says
Here are some references to remind us of what the Bible says about who to love. Remember that the answer is very simple: Love everyone:
– May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).
– Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).
– Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
– Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
– Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).
Conclusion: becoming like Christ
In conclusion, let’s begin a world-wide movement against judging and hating others, beginning with changing ourselves. Instead of hating, we can move towards loving everyone, because: “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs” (Proverbs 10:12; NIV). In this way, we can become just a little more like Christ.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).
References
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things (Romans 2:1; NIV).
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:1-2; NLT).
The Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18; NLT).
A reading from 2 Peter 1, 5-8; TIB.
Make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, familial love; and to familial love, truly unselfish love. For if these qualities are yours and they are growing in you, they will protect you from becoming ineffective and unfruitful; and they will bring you to a true knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ.
