Recently, I left a building where many of the people can be described as hateful. Most of them are of the same race but not all and it doesn’t matter what that race is, they are simply filled with hate. At first, I thought it was just me they hated but I’ve learned these folks don’t discriminate against race, ethnicity, gender or age. They hate everyone who they don’t like!
Evil emoticon (Photo credit: wstera2)
A while back, I asked God to open my eyes to what he wanted me to see. I didn’t tell Him what to show me only to show me what He wanted me to see whatever that was. Over time, He answered my prayer. Where I once had suspicion if a person was honest with me now I could see deceit with my natural vision. It was literally through my peripheral vision that I could see people’s facial expressions change from being ordinary, business like or friendly to sneering, clenched teeth and despising me. Little glimpses whenever they thought I couldn’t see them. One was almost growling at me, however, I felt no fear at the time. I’ll be honest, later I did feel fear when I thought about them.
These people had no logical reason to hate me because I didn’t give them any. I did my job like I was supposed to, kept to my self and made myself pleasant to work with by using “please” and “thank you”. But God continued to show me how these people were seething with hatred. Interestingly, I was not the only object of hatred. These hateful people spent a great deal of time hating others of the same race, gender and economic background as themselves.
Eventually, I learned that these hateful people had a history of harassing anyone who they really wanted gone. They wrote up one woman for every mistake she made big and small and she was new on the job. The people in this building are audacious in their evil ways. I saw documents where they committed an illegal act for which they will be audited. A coworker told me how he kept all of his emails and notes for protection because a few of these people would open his files that were saved on the shared drive and changed his work.
To top it off, most of these hateful people went to church and they brought many of their church ways to work. One day, we were sitting a table waiting for a meeting to start and one started saying, “Jesus”. Then another after her and then another. It was more like, “Jeeeeessssuuuuusssssssssss”! These women were not genuinely saying the name of Jesus in thankfulness or glorification but it was more like a competition. Almost like, “I can say it better than you… I’m more holy than you are.” It was most strange.
One of the many criticisms of the Bible is that God doesn’t condemn hatred. So I asked the question, “What does the Bible say about hatred?”
Proverbs 10:18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.
If you attempt to hide your hatred you also tell lies so hatred and lying go together.
Psalms 109:3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
1 John 4:20 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.
This clearly applies to people who claim to love God, not unbelievers.
1 John 2:9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
God tells us that hatred has no cause and it’s there ready to attack and accuse us. Hateful people don’t care how good we treat them, they dish out evil anyway. God tells us the answer to their hatred is to pray! Pray for what?
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Pray for their souls. I know, that’s not what I wanted to read either.
Proverbs 15:17 A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.
Here’s a warning not to even eat a good meal with a hateful person.
Galatians 5:19 Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, idolatry, drug use, hatred…
Hatred is part of a long list of corruptions.
Proverbs 26:26 While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public.
God won’t let them get away with tricking and hating people. He will expose it in public.
Leviticus 19:17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
Mean People Suck (Photo credit: danny.hammontree)
Hatred leads to the hater doing evil.
1 Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him,
Goliath hated David, as well as all of Israel and we know what happened to him.
So what’s the solution to all this hatred?
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
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