Hatred: Friend or Foe?

Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery because they hated him. They never imagined they would need to be forgiven for their betrayal. An American World War II soldier told how he survived the Bataan death march and years of brutality while a prisoner of war in Japan. He survived by hating his tormentors and thinking of his own plans for future revenge.

After decades of hating his tormentor, this soldier was able to meet him while visiting Japan. Listening to his tormentor’s story of personal torment and tragedy he’d endured since the war, the soldier’s hatred evaporated as his cold heart was filled with compassion. Hatred may initially feel like a friend, but it becomes an obstacle to forgiveness.

Wrong thinking prevents you from enjoying God’s blessings and love. Being unwilling to forgive is based on a false belief that it will punish those responsible for the hurt you feel. By contrast, forgiveness clears the way for constructive, healthy thinking and a clean heart. Then you are capable of being forgiven by the Lord God who loves you.  

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Whoever claims to be in the light, and yet continues to hate his bother is still in darkness. Whoever continues to love his brother is always in the light, and he is no hindrance to others. But whoever continues to hate his brother is in darkness and is living in darkness, and he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

~1 John 2:9-11 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People