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Proverbs 10:12

NASB	NLT	VOICE
12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all offenses.	12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.	12 Hatred fuels dissension, but love calms all rebellions.

What is Hate? What is Love?

Hatred is connected to enmity (being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something) and discord (disagreement between people). In the context of Proverbs, it describes a heart posture of someone that opposes God’s command to love their neighbor. To stir up shows that this hatred is active and comes from an internal place. It’s not passive, but it wants to create conflict.

Love is about seeking the well-being of others and reflecting God’s true character. This love covers all wrongdoings and restores relationships. This love focuses on protection and preservation of our relationships instead of showcasing its faults. This love doesn’t hide abuse or enable harm but allows all people to be treated with righteousness and victims to be heard. To cover transgressions by love is a reminder for us to forgive and reconcile, like how we receive forgiveness through Christ.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Hate is an active disobedience against God to not love God’s people. Love is about seeking the well-being of others. Which do you see yourself doing more of right now?

The world is full of conflict. Do we vaccinate our kids or not? Do we allow abortions or not?  Do we allow people in the LGBTQ+ community to get married or adopt? Do we fight in different countries? Do we allow immigrants into the county? Do we have the right policies to make all this effective? These questions are just the start of what we are facing right now. Unfortunately, this has created a lot of division, anger, and frustration among Americans right now. Some Christians have called for all the United States to follow the Bible’s commands. Some Christians have said that the Bible has no place in the laws of the United States. What do we do? How do we proceed?

We have to remember that United States is not a Christian nation. It was founded by people who were trying to find religious freedom. They wanted to be freely able to practice their faith. If we create our constitution and laws off the Bible, does that allow religious freedom? No. Because you are forcing those who do not practice Christianity to follow a rule set that they won’t have the freedom to ignore. Does that mean that our laws should have a biblical basis? Not necessarily. Jesus taught us to love others as we love ourselves. We would look to help create an environment as the Kingdom of God represents. Love also is about setting healthy boundaries and even learning to say “no” when necessary to maintain a morally sound judgment. We should help sustain an environment where all of God’s creation has an equal right to live. We should help support programs and institutions that offer support to our marginalized communities like our immigrants, impoverished, homeless, and more. We should also oppose policies and structures that harm our neighbors, making sure that our government leaders are held accountable to equal treatment for all. God’s command is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. It’s not about the person that looks like us. It’s about recognizing the human under what makes us different and helping them to have the support that we receive. Our society is built on platforms that support certain characteristics of humanity like gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, wealth status, and more. In my opinion, these boundaries need to be removed. If people need help, they need help. If people need support, they need support. Who am I to be judge, jury, and executioner, right? My goal in situations like this is to seek understanding of one’s story, help provide resources that will guide people for a short-term reprieve and a long-term success, and encourage them and help them along the way. To encourage them to find the strength to continue when things seem tough, to have faith when you’re ready to give up, to be kind to yourself when the world beats you up.  

We are not called to hate. We are not called to ignore. We are not called to discriminate. We are called to love. To follow God’s command and share His selfless love with every person we meet in our community and the world.

PRAY ACTION:

Praise God for His selfless love that was freely given to us. God did not have to give it to us, but He loves us so much that we receive it through the sacrifice of His son.

Read 1 John 4:8

Ask God how you can show love to your neighbor in a way that better aligns with His character. To not ignore those in need, but to offer selfless love to them.

You are a light on a hill. You are not meant to be hidden, but to be seen. You are meant to reflect the light of Christ that lie within you to all people.

Next slice of manna: God’s Unshakable Promises Amid Change || Isaiah 54:10 || Manna for the Mind #313