Biblical verses that help you deal with strong feelings of hatred
Many of us complain about the word "hate" so frequently that we forget the meaning of the word. We joke about the Star Wars references that hatred brings to the dark side and we use it for the most trivial questions: "I hate peas". But in reality, the word "hate" has a lot of meaning in the Bible. Here are some verses from the Bible that help us understand how God sees hatred.
How hatred affects us
Hate has a profound effect on us, yet it comes from many places within us. Victims can hate the person who injured them. Or, something isn't going well with us, so we don't like it very much. Sometimes we hate each other because of low self-esteem. In the end, that hatred is a seed that will only grow if we don't control it.
1 John 4:20
“Anyone who claims to love God still hates a brother or sister is a liar. Because whoever does not love his brother and sister, who have seen, cannot love God, who have not seen. " (NIV)
Proverbs 10:12
"Hatred stirs conflict, but love covers all wrongs." (NIV)
Leviticus 19:17
“Do not feed the hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Face people directly so that you are not guilty of their sin. " (NLT)
I hate in our speech
What we say matters and words can deeply hurt others. Each of us carries deep wounds that words have caused. We must be careful to use hateful words, of which the Bible warns us.
Ephesians 4:29
"Do not let corrupt speeches come out of your mouth, but only those that are good for building, as it adapts to the occasion, so that they can give grace to those who listen." (ESV)
Colossians 4: 6
“Be kind and keep their interest when you say the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to answer anyone who asks questions. " (CEV)
Proverbs 26: 24-26
“People can cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they are deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but they don't believe it. Their hearts are full of many evils. While their hatred can be hidden by deception, their offenses will be exposed in public. " (NLT)
Proverbs 10:18
“Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. " (NLT)
Proverbs 15: 1
"A polite response deflects anger, but harsh words detonate the spirits." (NLT)
Manage hatred in our hearts
Most of us have experienced a change of hatred at some point: we get angry with people or we feel a serious dislike or repulsion for certain things. However, we must learn to handle hatred when it sets us in the face and the Bible has some clear ideas on how to deal with it.
Matthew 18: 8
“If your hand or foot makes you sin, cut it and throw it away! You'd better get into life paralyzed or lame than having two hands or two feet and being thrown into the fire that never goes out. " (CEV)
Matthew 5: 43-45
"You have heard people say: 'Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.' But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will act like your Heavenly Father. It makes the sun rise on good and bad people. And send rain for those who are doing well and for those who are wrong. " (CEV)
Colossians 1:13
"He freed us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son of his love." (NKJV)
John 15:18
"If the world hates you, you know he hated me before he hated you." (NASB)
Luke 6:27
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, I love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. " (NLT)
Proverbs 20:22
"Don't say, 'I'll have this mistake too.' Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. " (NLT)
James 1: 19-21
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be ready to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry, because human anger does not produce the justice that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all the moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. "(NIV)