Recently I was on Facebook responding to a friend and I mentioned to them that I was about to take a hot soak to try and ease my back pain. I said to them “make sure I don’t drown”. (I fall asleep in the tub sometimes). Later on, someone on their friends list, who also knows (but doesn’t like) me, commented back “drown!!!”
I can’t quite wrap my brain around hating someone so much as to tell them to drown. I’ll asmit that I don’t much care for the woman who told me to drown either. But I certainly wish her no ill will.
The closest I’ve ever come to such a thing as wishing harm on another person was at the peak of the abuse in a prior relationship. I began wishing that something would happen to him so that he wouldn’t come home and I’d be free from my suffering. And I felt awful for having those feelings.
At any rate, being told to drown reminded me of something a previous pastor had said one service, that “he who commits hate, commits murder in his heart”. So I decided to look that up.
I believe this is the verse pastor was referencing, 1 John 3:15 “anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
Yikes. There’s a reason to remember to forgive one another. So that anger doesn’t harden your heart and turn into hate.
Another verse out of first John (4:20) states: “if anyone says ‘I love God.’ And hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has seen.”
Another sobering verse. I believe we love God when we receive His love for us. Without His Love how can we then love others? You can not give what you do not have.
Another verse on hate is Proverbs 26:24
Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart.”
Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Another verse but I can’t recall it) Disguise himself he might, but not forever. Eventually those true colors show.
These are just a couple of the verses that I read into on hate. There are several that speak of it. Fortunately there are also verses on preventative measures, such as not judging, and forgiving.
And as terrible as it is being told to drown, it got me looking at scripture, once again proving that He works all things for our good.
I can’t quite wrap my brain around hating someone so much as to tell them to drown. I’ll asmit that I don’t much care for the woman who told me to drown either. But I certainly wish her no ill will.
The closest I’ve ever come to such a thing as wishing harm on another person was at the peak of the abuse in a prior relationship. I began wishing that something would happen to him so that he wouldn’t come home and I’d be free from my suffering. And I felt awful for having those feelings.
At any rate, being told to drown reminded me of something a previous pastor had said one service, that “he who commits hate, commits murder in his heart”. So I decided to look that up.
I believe this is the verse pastor was referencing, 1 John 3:15 “anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
Yikes. There’s a reason to remember to forgive one another. So that anger doesn’t harden your heart and turn into hate.
Another verse out of first John (4:20) states: “if anyone says ‘I love God.’ And hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has seen.”
Another sobering verse. I believe we love God when we receive His love for us. Without His Love how can we then love others? You can not give what you do not have.
Another verse on hate is Proverbs 26:24
Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart.”
Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Another verse but I can’t recall it) Disguise himself he might, but not forever. Eventually those true colors show.
These are just a couple of the verses that I read into on hate. There are several that speak of it. Fortunately there are also verses on preventative measures, such as not judging, and forgiving.
And as terrible as it is being told to drown, it got me looking at scripture, once again proving that He works all things for our good.
