Jump Start # 936

Titus 3:3 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.”

This week we have been looking at some of the unpleasant and even wrong emotions that we have to deal with. Emotions such as anger, jealousy and guilt. These often get the best of us. They are so regular in our life that they can seem normal. We even have a game on our phones called, “Angry birds.” It’s not just birds, it’s ANGRY birds. I’m just waiting for someone at church to start leading the song, “Angry Birds…” instead of “Angry Words.” Our verse today reveals yet another emotion that is often found within our hearts. I wish there weren’t so many of these, but there are. I find this laundry list of “bad thinking” more than an interesting and technical study but a reality check. These are the things that we face. These are the things we must fight, control and conquer through Jesus. We can appear so sweet and pleasant at times and then become so mean and ugly at other times. All of this reminds us that we are a work in progress. The work is not finished. God is not done with us.

Our passage reminds us that we all have a past, even the apostle that wrote these words. Our past can trip us and keep us from excelling as we ought to. Our past can rise up and some days it seems that our past isn’t really past at all.

I want to give special notice to the final words in this verse. Paul said that we, including himself, was hateful and hating one another. Hate. Hatred. That cursed feeling toward others ruins relationships and keeps us at a distance with others.

Paul, as a Jew, had a long list of those that he would have hated. Jews hated Gentiles. Jews hated Samaritans. Jews hated Christians. Jews hated Romans. Jews hated tax collectors. Jews, sometimes, even hated other Jews, especially those who were not of the same group. Many Jews grew up learning to hate. Many of us have done the same. Some hate “foreigners.” Some hate those of a different race. Some in the middle of the country hate those who live on either coast. Those on the coast hate those in the middle. Republicans hate democrats and democrats hate republicans. I went to Purdue University—we had strong feelings against Indiana University and especially Notre Dame. Dislike and hate are not the same level. I dislike seeing people throw trash out their car windows. That dislike would never lead me to doing anything mean to them. Hatred will go that far. Because of hatred, some have no limits what they could do to another person.

I have found that hatred can be taught. A child can grow up in a home with prejudice and evil speaking toward a group of people is as common as mashed potatoes. Unless there is some real effort, that child will become an adult with the same hatred. A lot of hatred is generic. It’s not toward a specific person, but toward a group of people. Often, hatred is not based upon anything personal, but something that they heard about. Hatred is often founded upon misinformation and ignorance. We don’t want to admit that, but that is the truth.

The Jews were comfortable with hating their enemies. Jesus referred to this in the sermon on the mount. There Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Jesus, who died for all, has no room for hatred in His kingdom.

Even among those who follow Jesus, I have seen hatred. There is a hatred toward those who worship differently. Mean things are said about “those people.” Some would not go out of their way for “them.” Hatred does that. It builds walls, instead of bridges. It isolates instead of reaching out. Hatred uses words like “us” and “them.” The “us” is right. The “them” are wrong. Haters will not go out of their way for “them,” because they are not one of “us.”

I’ve also seen that hatred lives next door to fear. Being afraid of someone or something has led to hating them. You won’t find a hater praying for the one he hates. That doesn’t happen. You won’t find one with hatred going out of his way for the one he hates. Doesn’t happen.

Our verse reminds us that Paul and others once hated. Christ changed them. It is possible for a person who hates to stop hating. It is possible for someone who grew up in a home filled with hatred to overcome that and be the spirit that Jesus wants. It can happen. Paul and those with him are proof of that. Paul once hated. He stopped that. He no longer hated. He changed.

You start chipping away hatred when you realize that each of us are made in the image of God. All of us—black, white; American and all nations. It helps realizing that Jesus died for all, including the guy I hate. Jesus loved the guy I hate. Jesus wants the guy I hate to spend forever in Heaven. If Jesus wants that, what’s my problem?

Then you start thinking about all of this and it makes you realize that the hatred that you have held in your heart has not made you a better person. Your spouse never says, “I’m so glad you hate. It’s made you such a delightful person.” The church will never hold your hand up for hating others. No, hatred makes us miserable. It eats at us. Hatred makes us think dark thoughts that we shouldn’t have. Hatred nourishes the bad attitudes that leads to more trouble. Hatred doesn’t do any good at all.

Next, it starts coming to your mind that God may very well be more pleased with the guy you hate than He is with you, especially since you harbor hatred in your hearts. Hatred doesn’t make you more Christ like. It isn’t something that we admire in others. We don’t like to be on the receiving end of hatred. Christians are. Jesus said that would happen. People love darkness more than light. Christians are light—so it figures that we will be hated. We will be hunted down. We will be the made fun of. We will be tried and tested. We are hated, however we do not hate in return.

Then you start praying, really praying for the person that bothers you so much. You pray about that co-worker—not that a dump truck would pull out in front of him. No. You pray that he has a good day. You pray that he follows Jesus. You pray that God can use you to show him Jesus. You pray that you have better feelings toward him. You pray to see good in him. You pray and pray and pray. The more praying you are doing, the less hating you will be doing.

Will people still bug you? Of course. Will some people be rude? Yes. Will some co-workers continue to work the system and be lazy? Yes. Will some church members drive you batty? Certainly. Will your patience be tried? Yes. Will some push your buttons? Yes. Are there days that you feel like a one way vacation? Yes. With some, will you have to count to ten? With some, you may have to count to one hundred! Will you be hated by others? Yes. But, even with all of this, you do not HATE. You want the best for them. This is God’s way.

We can never be what God wants as long as hatred rules our hearts. This is easier for some than others. Still, it can be done.

We were once haters…been there. But not any more, thanks to Jesus. Be honest here. Do you need to do some heart surgery and remove some hatred? Get about it.

You’ll be glad once you’ve conquered this. Others will notice, especially God.

Roger