Murder, He Wrote

I John 3:15 “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.”

I used to love watching that murder-mystery show, “Murder, She Wrote.” I actually still watch the reruns whenever I get the chance. One of the key elements to finding out whodunnit is uncovering the motive. Always, the murderer had a reason to hate the person who was killed.

crime scene 5

Murder has never taken place without hate in the heart of the murderer. Hate, when left unchecked, leads to murderous thoughts and actions. Hate is the opposite of love. Love gives life. Hate brings death. God is love, and He refuses to share a place in a heart filled with hate. Either we love, or we hate. We cannot have it both ways.

We may think that we can hate just one person, and love everyone else, but it doesn’t work that way. Hate is like a cancer which spreads, taking over every good and healthy part of a person until it destroys the entire person. Hate cannot be contained.

But there is good news! God’s love is more powerful than hate. If we are willing to be done with the hate, if we are willing to allow God to take over and heal the sick parts of our souls that have harboured hate, He will gladly move into our hearts and fill them up with His love. He will so overpower our lives, if we let Him, that the hate and murder that once dwelt in our souls will be far removed. Then, and only then, can we have eternal life.

Dear Father, Please forgive me for any hateful thoughts I’ve held onto. Please work a miracle in my heart, heal me, and fill me with Your love for all people.
Amen

2 Responses to Murder, He Wrote

  1. May 26, 2009 #

    Now this is a hard one.
    Who, ME?
    HATE?
    [Squirm]
    I don’t like to think of it as “hatred” — just “intense dislike”!

    Gotta quit it and get a grip on the fact that it does indeed have a murderous DNA. Thanks for the “heads up”.

  2. May 27, 2009 #

    You’re right, Carol-Ann. If it doesn’t look like love, it’s probably more akin to hate. It is a tough pill to swallow, but if we don’t get a check on it, it will destroy US a whole lot quicker than it does the other person.

    (Speaking for myself, not you.) 😉

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