Proverbs 26:24. Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart.
We’ve all seen hate in action. All you have to do is turn on the evening news to see scene after scene of hatred and violence playing out in the world around us. Hate that would slander, harm, and even murder. Domestic violence, mass shootings, war, terrorism.
Hate is often not disguised at all, but more often it is. This is why today’s proverbs say that the hater disguises himself with his lips. The hater harbors deceit in his heart. What does this mean? Well, it’s scary, because the hater described here is disguising their hatred with their words. This hater keeps their hatred harbored in their heart, only to expose it in one terrible moment. There is no openness with this hater, no vulnerability. Everything is kept on lock down. Worse yet, it is even masked by affirmations that everything is OK. I’m fine. No worries. It’s alright. Everything’s good.
Psychologists tell us that hatred is born out of fear. Fear of difference. Fear of not being enough. Fear of change. Fear of losing control. Even the fear of living caused by extreme hurt or trauma. The Bible would affirm this. Twice the scripture will set fear and love side by side in contrast.
2 Timothy 1:7. for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
1 John 4:18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
Do you want to confront your hate? Then confront your fears. Do you want to prevent hate? Then create a safe place where others can feel open enough to confront their fears alongside others. Discerning what is in the heart is key, not just what is on the lips.
But how do we get others to expose their hearts? Their deepest fears?
Love – perfect love casts out fear.
Exposing fears, and thus hatred, is the first step. It is the diagnosis, but it is not the cure. Love is the cure. Perfect love. And we know what that means – the love of Christ in us. Only the love of God can change our hearts. Only the indwelling Spirit of love can take away hatred from inside of us. How does he do that? By replacing our deepest fears with his own love. When we know and believe how much we are loved by God in Christ, it slowly but surely takes away our fears and along with our fear, our desire to hate others. And when we know how much Jesus loves that person that we want to hate, well, it becomes harder and harder to hate the person that Jesus loves and died for.
Letting yourself be loved by Jesus feels so much better than hating others and then covering up your hatred with your fake words. Loving others feels so much better than being afraid of them. Living from the Spirit’s power, love, and self-control through Christ with an open heart is a far greater way to live than living with harbored hatred just waiting to explode.
You: Can you discern where your hatred comes from? Your fears? Are there any fears that are in danger of producing hatred in your heart?
You in Christ: How does our union with Christ remove fear and replace it with perfect love?
Christ in you: How can you actively get to know and love someone that you fear or even hate today?
Pray: Father, expose my fears, my hate, my masks, and replace it all with your love, the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
To Live is Christ 