Topic: Do you hate your brother?
Bible Reading: Daniel 3-4; 1 John 3.
Memory Verse: “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15 (KJV).
Hate is a feeling of intense dislike for something or someone. It could arise as a result of personal perception of powerlessness or experience, report of another person’s experience or information gathered in which one feel injured or mistreated by others. . It could lead to action that could harm the person or thing. In Genesis 27:41 (KJV), “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.” Esau planned to kill his brother, Jacob because of his hate for him.
When you hate someone you will be ready to do anything to harm him, including murder. This is why hate is likened to murder! 1 John 3:15 KJV says “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” Hate is opposite of love and you know that God is love. So anything contrary to love is against the will of God. So you need to avoid hate by all means. The best way to avoid hate is to remember that God expects you to love everyone, including your enemies. Jesus says in Matthew 5:44 (KJV), “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
Though these instructions are not easy on our flesh because it will rather go after revenge, you realise that if you follow them, you will not develop hate for anyone! For you to do this, you need to be determined to obey God no matter how difficult and tell your flesh you are dead to it so that when the issue of ego bruising or pride comes up, you will be able to disappoint your flesh. When you practice this with the help of the Holy Spirit continuously, you will be surprised at your transformation.
This is what the Bible expects of you as stated in Romans 12:1-2 (KJV), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Prayer point:
Father, give me the grace to show love to everyone irrespective of their attitude towards me in Jesus name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero