If you watch or read the news on a regular basis, you can’t help but notice the hatred that spews from the mouths of individuals – A hatred that is directed toward others who hold different beliefs and convictions than they do. I’m not sure about you, but hatred in any form disturbs my spirit, and I suspect yours as well. Why is that? I believe that it is because we have learned from God’s Word and from His Spirit to hate what God also hates. The psalmist declares, 

Those who love the LORD hate evil (Psalm 97:10).

Notice that our hatred is not to be directed toward individuals, but toward evil itself. Furthermore, King Solomon saw what hatred was doing in the nation of Israel as he expressed a truth that is obvious to most, 

Hatred stirs up conflict (Proverbs 10:12).

Sadly, we see that hatred directed toward individuals, groups, and political parties stirs up conflict, and we all know that conflict divides people rather than unites them. Instead of building bridges between people, hatred builds barriers.

We must all realize how hatred and bitterness destroy individuals, families, churches, and our most cherished friendships. The Bible tells us that hatred is a heart issue, as Jesus said,

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander” (Matthew 15:19).

Jesus did not give us a complete list of the evil thoughts that emerge from the heart, but hatred can certainly be linked to “murder,” something that Jesus noted in this passage. It was the Apostle John who linked the two when he wrote,

Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing him (1 John 3:15).

What is John saying here? He is saying that the one who hates another is actually wishing that that person was either dead or would die soon. That is why we are all encouraged to love and forgive one another, and by doing so, we are rejecting any thoughts of anger and hatred that might be inclined to enter into our hearts.   

Furthermore, I suspect that we have all harbored hatred in our hearts toward another person at one time or another, and we can testify to the fact that such hatred adversely affects our emotional well-being. When hatred consumes us, it is virtually impossible to focus our thoughts on the many blessings God has given us, and we will never experience the inner peace that Jesus offers us.

And sadly, as we have all seen, hatred can be contagious, spreading animosity and resentment among family members, friends, and even within our churches. If you are involved in a church fellowship, please be aware that hatred promotes prejudice, intolerance, and division, thus destroying the unity that the Lord desires. Here is what David said about unity in the body,

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (Psalm 133:1).

Let’s take just a moment for some self-reflection on the claims that we often make to ourselves and to others. The Apostle John has much to say about such claims,

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9).

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen (1 John 4:20).

You will notice that John addressed only hatred directed toward another “brother or sister” in the faith, but I’m absolutely certain that he intended his words to be extended to anyone, whether they are “in the faith” or not. When we make false claims about our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are actually deceiving ourselves and lying to others. When hatred consumes us, we are actually walking in darkness, lying not only to ourselves, but also to those around us regarding our love for God.  

As we can see, hatred is a powerful and destructive emotion, and we simply cannot allow it to take root and grow in our hearts. God’s Word invites us to overcome all forms of hatred and bitterness with love, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts so that Christ’s love will shine as a beacon of light for others to see.

Let’s all ask God to show us how to actively love one another from the heart and in so doing, resisting all forms of anger, hatred, bitterness, and resentment.

Blessings to all of you.