No Room for Hate
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Matthew 24:12-13
In this world today we hear of evil acts almost every day when we listen to the evening news or read the daily newspaper. How do we mentally process these evil acts, when we hear of school kids shot down by someone with an evil heart? We probably feel anger, sadness, frustration, and fear. But how do we feel about the person who performed the evil act?
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45) The love Jesus is talking about is agape love. This is love that is willing to help people in their earthly needs and their spiritual needs. We can have agape love for someone without liking the person, and we certainly don’t like people who perform evil acts. We are to see everyone with a heart of agape love, and we are to have anger toward Satan because he is the source of all evil in the people who live by his lies.
It is important that we pour our anger and hate toward the real cause of sin and evil, Satan, and that we pray for the lost souls that have become members of Satan’s army. Pray for those who commit these evil acts. There is no room for hate in the Christian heart, because hate is like a little yeast that can easily fill our hearts. Matthew 24:12 states that due to the evil in the world, the love of many will grow cold. Having God’s love grow cold in our hearts is frightening, because if hate grows in our hearts, we are moving into Satan’s army.
Today pray for the heart of Jesus, a heart that showed love until his last breath on the cross. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”(Luke 23:34). Jesus was forgiving those who crucified him. This is the love we are to have until our last breaths, and this is truly the unconditional love God has put into our hearts.
Let’s Pray: Lord, fill my heart with your unconditional love, and help me to reveal your love to everyone. Lord, it’s only your love and your compassion that is changing me to be Christ-like. Thank you for your powerful and unconditional love that brings the peace that transcends all understanding with inner calmness. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen