Why I Can't Hate Back

Here's my problem with this whole topic of love and hate: They can hate me, but I can't hate back.

I want to. Oh boy, do I want to. Someone yells at me, or flips me off, or cheats me, and I want to do some damage. When I read hate speech against Christians, I can start hating people I've never even met. And you don't want to see what's inside my head any time someone hurts one of my family.

John says that's off limits now. That was the old me. "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer,and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him." (1 John 3:14-15)

Hate is the Devil's way, not the way of Jesus. Hate and death are partners; hatred and murder have the same root. One is emotional thought, the other an action, but both are caused by looking at people through worldly, self-centered eyes. Both come from a world-view that says I must be respected and listened to, and even catered to. Don't cross me! Murder is just the ultimate extension of the emotion of hate.

Since I've died in Christ and risen again hate has no place anymore. Jesus was mocked and tortured to death, yet He didn't hate. Instead He forgave; He forgave me. And gave me a simple job: Go and make disciples of other death-deserving reprobates like me. That's hard to do when you want to kill the guy. But it's harder to hate when I remember that I've behaved far worse toward God than anyone ever has toward me. I can't be grateful and hateful at the same time.