Proverbs 29:10
Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.
Bloodthirsty men hate. Have you ever seen hatred? Real, burning hatred makes men do unspeakable things. Bloodthirsty men hate; and men who hate are bloodthirsty.
Maybe no one has ever threatened your life, but has anyone ever tried to kill your reputation, or kill you emotionally? In our society most of the attacks by bloodthirsty people are done with words. Words hurt. Words kill. Words cut deep, and the scars last a lifetime. Hateful words can destroy a life. They certainly destroy relationships.
Why do people hate? In a society that preaches tolerance and that life is meaningless- that it doesn't matter what you believe or what you do, because when you die you die. That's all there is- Why do people even care enough about others to hate them? Why do they even bother to take notice?
The apostle John answers this question in 1 John 3:12-13:
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
Ultimately, people hate because of sin. God is love, but sin separates us from God. Because of sin, we are all naturally bent toward sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). Without God we are incapable of love. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." (1 John 3:16) and "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). It is only by the grace of God that we are not all "bloodthirsty men" who hate. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
When you see hatred, or are the victim of hatred, don't respond with hatred. Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Hateful people are to be pitied. They are children of satan on their way to hell. So don't respond to hatred with hatred. Respond with love. Let the love of Jesus shine through you in situations like this. Love that hateful person enough to share Jesus with them. God did not put you in that spot to justify that other person's hatred; He put you there to tell that person about what Jesus has done for him. God wants all people to be saved. It is our responsibility to respond to every difficult person and situation with love and God's Word. Every act of hatred is our opportunity to win another soul for heaven, but the Holy Spirit can only work if we open our mouth tell that person, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Jesus died for the bloodthirsty just as He died for you and me. It is the unbelievers who need to hear this message, believers already know it, and they will only hear it if you respond with love.
God bless
Jason Fredrick
Thanks for addressing the hate that showed in Pittsburgh that is on the news. You talked about it without talking about it.
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