Good Hate, Bad Hate

GOOD HATE… BAD HATE

 

“But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the

Nicolaitans, which I [God] also hate.” (Revelation 2:6)

 

A Daily Encounter reader asks, “Does God have the capacity to hate?”

 

Oh, yes, God certainly has this capacity.

 

In Psalm 45:7, referring to the coming Messiah (Jesus) God also said,

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God,

has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

 

God hates evil, wickedness and unrighteousness and so should we.

In fact, if we don’t, chances are we don’t love right and righteousness.

 

As Christians, we need to hate the things God hates and love the things

he loves. God hates all wickedness and sin because it is so totally

destructive of those whom he loves -- us!

 

In many ways hatred is very strong anger and anger, in it’s pure form,

is a God-given emotion which is designed to motivate us to oppose evil

and work to bring about change for good. This is healthy anger.

 

Unhealthy anger or hatred is anger from past hurts that hasn’t been

resolved and, when triggered, lashes out and hurts others. Some

have such a reservoir of unhealthy anger that, at the slightest

or seeming offense, they go off in a rage. Some even lash out and kill.

 

To have healthy anger, we need to be sure that all unhealthy anger

is faced and resolved otherwise even our good anger will be

contaminated with bad anger and used inappropriately.

 

Suggested prayer, “Dear God, please help me to face and resolve

any unhealthy anger I may have and learn to hate the things

you hate and love the things you love -- and do something

constructive about it in the world in which I live.

Gratefully in Jesus’ name. Amen.”