July 10

Jul 10 - Today from Proverbs 10 we look at verse 12
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."

Hate is powerful. Left unchecked, it becomes a tainted lens that distorts everything in the character of the object of its hostility. The smallest of mistakes are magnified and exaggerated through the lens of hatred. Even well meaning statements are misunderstood through the lens of hatred. They become misrepresented by the hateful and even used as prejudiced evidence as they are redefined and passed on to others (consider Jesus' accusers). We hear a lot about hate in our modern culture, and it has come to be the most dastardly of attributes. 'Hate crimes' are those heinous crimes perpetrated upon a people simply because they belong to a controversial social group. Hate is graceless, it leaves no room for exception nor for the benefit of the doubt. The object of hatred becomes a blight on the soul of the hateful, a blight that must be punished and obliterated. The very character of hatred does nothing but stir up dissension. It divides social groups. It pits friends against one another. It demands its own way. It will not leave a perceived wrong go unpunished. Hatred is seated in pride, the chief characteristic of hatred. Hatred always seems so easy to spot in the actions of others. But, the Bible is primarily meant to serve as a means of self-examination.
I am convicted even as I write. There are some people in this life that by using the definitions above. . . I can easily hate. Lord have mercy on me, and give me grace to repent. I do not intend to hate. I can even give a convincing argument that I really do not hate. But if I am not loving - than what am I? I am convinced that my views and attitudes toward these people are distorted through a lens of prejudice. Certainly my pride comes into play - in the most subtle of tones. I have to ask the Lord to forgive me often for my attitudes. When I catch myself entertaining such thoughts, I try to be obedient to the Lord and proceed to pray a blessing on these individuals. They have no idea how often I pray a blessing upon them. I don't have to like them, but I am obligated to love them. And this unconditional love can only come by God's grace. Grace often comes through faith in His Word, and faith is an action, not a feeling.
"Love covers all wrongs." I take note that the text does not say that love removes all wrongs. It says love covers all wrongs. Only the shed blood of Jesus can remove sin. But, His unconditional love covers sin. Why does God call us to cover sin? Because if we, as agents of Christ do not, all that would be left would be hatred and dissension. When wrongs are left uncovered and exposed, it is a call to wounded pride, retribution, revenge and hostility. There would be no peace.
If you have never read and meditated on 1 Corinthians 13, I would encourage you to do it. Often. In it are the great attributes of unconditional love. The love that Christ has called us to, and the love that gives evidence to the world that we are His disciples. Many of you are familiar with this passage, but I offer it once again today for our consideration:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:4-8)
Our conscience is between ourselves and our God. If we harbor hatred in our heart, let us not deny, minimize or defend it. Let us confess it. Let us pray a blessing on those who are potential objects of our hatred. Let us seek God's grace to overcome even the feelings of hatred. Let us practice love. Love does not remove the wrongs done to us. That will be an issue between God and those who have wronged us. But love can cover them over, so that we can see the kingdom of God manifest in a lost and broken world. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9). Like Father, like son. Born again, it is a matter of spiritual genetics.