Love vs. Hate

This world often feels like it’s spinning out of control. Hate and strife are everywhere. Back biting, cruelty, and meanness erode society and relationships. Every where you look there seems to be unhappiness and discontent which breeds bitterness, envy, and hate. And, hate leads to strife and chaos and death.

The reality is every since Satan lied to Eve and sin came into this world, hate and strife arrived. The second sin introduced in the Bible murder is the natural outcome of hate and strife – Cain hated that God approved of Able’s sacrifice more than his. That hate created strife and angry directed toward God and his brother. Cain not wanting to control them ended up letting them consume him and he killed his brother.

Hate is the foundational character of Satan. He hates everything about God. God’s mercy, kindness, forgiveness, peace, patience, and most of all God’s love. Everything he does seeks to undo and undermine God’s love. His hate for God introduced strife. Strife between Adam and Eve and God. They became divided. Their relationship was forever changed. Strife led Cain to kill his brother.

So hate and strife have been here since nearly the beginning. But not the absolute beginning. Before there was hate, there was love – God’s love. He loved Adam and Eve (and all their offspring – mankind) so much that instead of hating them for what they had done He created a pathway to be reunited with them. His love would create the way for offenses to be forgiven – for all offenses to be forgiven. That plan was sending His only son Jesus to earth to live a human life and experience the temptations of this life constantly hurled at us by Satan, to die for us because of the hatred and strife we engaged in which was secretly instigated by Satan, and to rise of the grave – defeating hate, strife, death and Satan himself.

Now, when Solomon wrote this Proverb he was using these instinctual characteristics of God and Satan to teach us about how we should live and interact with each other. We can choose to live as Satan would want us to – full of hate which only causes strife, cruelty, and death. Or, we can choose to follow after God’s love – which was so unconditional He send His only son to forgive us of our sins.

So, what does that look like for us? Well, perfect love casts out fear. It is patient and kind. It does not envy, does not boast, nor is it proud. It does not dishonor others and is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrong doings. It does not delight in evil and only rejoices in the truth. It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. True love never fails. (I John 4 and I Corinthians 1:3)

We can either live a life of hate or live a life of love. We can either stir up strike or forgive offenses. This world as plenty of the former and not near enough of the latter.

As Solomon teaches, the wise walk in the ways of God but fools walk in the ways of Satan – so choose but choose wisely.