I grew up learning that we aren’t supposed to hate. The word “hate” gets lumped in with other 4-letter words we aren’t supposed to say. There are prohibitions on hate speech, and there is legislation making the punishment for hate crimes more severe, and don’t forget that Jesus emphasizes how much we are supposed to love (they will know we are Christians by our live – John 13:35). The Bible give us plenty of things to hate, for instance…
- Job hated his life (Job 3:11, 10:18-19)
- Job believed that God hated him (Job 16:9)
- Psalm 97:10 instructs us to hate evil.
- Proverbs 13:5 tells us to hate lies.
- According to Malachi 2:16, God hates divorce.
- Psalm 5:5 tells us that God also hates those who do wrong.
Think about what Proverbs 6 outlines for us… “six things that God hates, seven are an abomination to Him:”
- Haughty eyes
- Lying tongue
- Hands that shed innocent blood
- A heart that devises wicked plans
- Feet that run rapidly to evil
- A false witness, and
- One who spreads strife
Six things or seven? I’d have to explain Hebrew poetry; but that is for another time. These seven detestable sins provide a profound glimpse into the sinfulness of men, and act as a summary of the previous warnings in Proverbs 6:12-14.
It appears that God is passionate about our avoiding sinful activity. A common question that any pastor, counselor or motivational speaker loves to ask is, “What are you passionate about?” Many times that question is met with blank stares because we don’t know how to properly identify our passions.
Some people seem passionate about everything from American Idol to Jesus, while others find it safer to stay neutral and not express passion for anything. Can we accomplish anything great for the kingdom with such a casual attitude? It is important to find out how God has wired us, or what “spiritual gift” the Holy Spirit has given us.
A spiritual gift is something that allows us to do the ministry of God with a certain ease and effectiveness. The idea is to find out what we are good at, and seek ways to exercise that gift for the benefit of God’s kingdom. We are designed to serve others, not to simple sit and soak in the church.
Here’s a great site to explore the topic and discover your own spiritual gift.
Maybe a simpler way to discover our passions is from the perspective of hate. What do you hate? What kind of holy hatred has God given you for things that aren’t right in the world around you? Then we can look around and see what can be done to make positive change in our community and the world.
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