"I Hope You Hate"

February 02, 2023 | By Chuck

  “Hate” is a strong word that carries negative and potentially dangerous emotions. Some would go so far as to say that “hate” is a bad word that we should not use. We teach our kids not to hate anyone and rightfully so. There is a lot of hate in our world today. I tend to focus more on the stories of love instead of hate. As much as hatred discourages me, there is something I hope you hate. I know it sounds odd that I’d encourage you to hate. Keep reading.

            “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Prov. 8:13). We should fear the Lord,  and when we do, we will hate evil. This passage says that fearing the Lord is hating evil. When we fear the Lord, we hate pride and arrogance and all the ways of evil. I can honestly tell you that I hate sweet potatoes; I just don’t like them at all. Because I have such a hatred for sweet potatoes, I have no problem avoiding them all the time.

            Hating evil leads to avoiding evil. David said, “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked” (Psalm 26:5). David has such a strong hatred for evil that he avoids evil and those who practice it. For those who are striving for godliness every day, hating evil will keep us on that well-lit path. If hating evil will help you and me to avoid sin and grow closer to God, then I hope you hate. I hope you hate evil.