We see the news each day and we are confronted with a few things. The first thing we may ask is ‘does this affect me?’ Unless it is your name in the news, it doesn’t often impact you directly, but it may indirectly and leaders make laws and decisions, and changes that impact your life. Your ability to go about ‘business as usual’ has probably been a little impacted over the past couple months. Another thing you may ask is ‘who’s side am I on?’ Especially with the polarizing political climate recently, each side blames the other side for the problems we are facing. Some choose a side and hold strong to everything about that side. Some see the folly in that and blame both sides as part of the problem. Then lastly we must decide ‘what am I going to do about it?’ Whether something impacts us directly, indirectly, or seemingly not at all, we still make a choice to act on it or try to ignore it further. With what you see going on in the world today, what have you made up your mind to do about any of it today?
Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12
We see a lot of people generalize in our society. If I had a bad experience the first time I dealt with an electrician, I may think all electricians are like that. If I get pulled over by a lawman while driving, I should expect a warning or a ticket if I did something wrong, and deal with it. If I received punishment when I did nothing wrong, I might become angry or indignant, and also assume all other lawmen may treat me the same way. I’ve seen and heard similar generalizations of Men, Women, lawyers, children, teenagers, native Americans, African Americans, the Homeless, Foreigners, and the list goes on and on. Now in our minds, you and I know that the people in these groups are not all the same, even if they have some similar characteristics, there is much variation. When we hate or dehumanize any group of people, we do both them, and us, and God a disservice. But when we forgive and show love to anyone in a difficult situation, we live up to a better potential of what God has called us to be. It is not always, or ever an easy choice, but it is the better choice.
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 not seen. 1 John 4:20
Hate and murder have been around since the fall and when the first family walked the earth. There is great potential in each one of us for great evil and for great good. God knows the heart of man, as did Jesus when he walked in this world. We can choose each day to promote hate or to put a stop to it, to speak a word of truth or to let lies go on, to show love or to withhold it. There are both big and small things we can do each day to help or hurt others, and sometimes doing nothing can be more hurtful than helpful. If you can, choose love over hate each and every day in all the things you do and say.
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:15
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Yours in Christ,
Clark
