November 22, 2019
Struggling with Hatred?
By Skip Heitzig
There are a few things I'm just not a fan of: traffic jams, when somebody is going slow in the passing lane, bad coffee, and pigeons. Those are all things I really hate.
But when it comes to hating other people, the Bible takes hatred very seriously (see Leviticus 19:17; Galatians 5:19-20). There are two kinds of hatred: one that is directed toward you and one that comes from within you. Today I want to look at the second kind.
In Luke 9, we read that Jesus and His disciples entered a Samaritan village, where the people rejected Jesus. So James and John said, "'Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?' But [Jesus] turned and rebuked them, and said, 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them'" (vv. 54-56).
Now, there had been a centuries-long rivalry and prejudice between the Samaritans and the Jews. But talk about the Galilean Mafia. How did Jesus handle James and John's hatred? And how can you deal with hatred in your own heart?
1. Your words must be rebuked (see Revelation 3:19). Yes, rejecting Christ is sinful and shameful, but hating people for it is reprehensible. The disciples' words were destructive to the people God loves. So Jesus rebuked them—and your words must be as well if this type of hateful speech comes from you.
2. Your attitude must be checked. James and John had Scripture in their heads—they knew that Elijah called down fire from heaven—but they had no love in their hearts. So even if they had the ability to call down fire from heaven, their attitude was wrong. To Jesus, attitude is more important than aptitude. Your attitude is the rudder that controls everything in your life—what you say and do. So check your attitude when you're dealing with someone. Instead of viewing them as an inconvenience or a bad person, how about seeing them as an opportunity for you to grow?
3. Your prejudice must be surrendered to God. James and John were blinded by their prejudice from seeing what God's purpose was for the Samaritans: to save them (see 2 Peter 3:9). God's purpose for people always trumps our prejudice toward people.
In Acts 8, we find that a revival broke out in Samaria after John and Peter preached the gospel there. What would have happened if they had nuked that village? There'd be no Samaritans to hear the gospel and be saved.
So start asking yourself, "Are my words, my attitude, or my prejudice standing in the way of God's purpose for someone else?" Whenever we meet someone, we tend to look at how they present themselves, and we make certain assessments and size them up in our heads. How about we start stripping all that away and instead see them as a person for whom God has a purpose—to be saved?
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Connect with Skip Heitzig October Resource
Hopelessness may be an epidemic, but it is not new. Even Jesus' disciples expressed hopelessness after His death. But that was before He rose from the grave to offer a living hope to all who put their faith in Him. Get to know the God of all hope in Optimisfits: Igniting a Fierce Rebellion Against Hopelessness by Ben Courson.
For more from Skip Heitzig, visit ConnectionRadio.org, and listen to today's broadcast of The Connection with Skip Heitzig at OnePlace.com.
