TEACHING FOR TRANSFORMATION Johan Potgieter 2014-09-09 Pr. 10:12 “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” (NKJV) Hatred and love are both prominent emotions – but they travel in opposite directions. Both are capable of extensive expressions, but hatred fosters evil, while love issues in all that is good. Both are like a flame of fire, but while hatred burns with envy, bitterness and revenge, love burns with a passion to give, to serve and to understand. Hatred Stirs: The cynical eyes of hatred sees evil intention, even in innocent gestures, twists words of actual goodwill into subtle insinuations, and makes mountains out of mole hills. Hatred picks on the smallest fault, makes no allowance for human error, and nurses slight grievances until they grow into huge conflicts. It is just NOT POSSIBLE to go through life without rubbing someone up the wrong way. Always remember that not everybody is going to ‘like’ you, and MOST of the time the reason for this is because they have already judged that you are not like THEM. But hatred lets the friction develop destructive heat, where love pours out the oil of understanding and peace. Hatred generates suspicion, envy, abuse, and even revenge. Unfortunately, for the bearer of hatred, these emotions become self-destructive. Love covers: It enables one to absorb insult, overlook wrongs and attempts to understand. Love marks and brands the good qualities of others. In 1 Peter 4:8, the Bible says; “For love throws a veil over a multitude of faults” (Weymouth). In James 5:20, where the restoration of a stumbling brother means that you forget his acts of misdeeds. Paul states one of the marvels of Christian love as, ”thinks no evil” – 1 Cor. 13:5. The word ”thinks” has in it a picture of keeping an account-book, but ”love does not keep a tally of old scores,” to be paid with interest when opportunity affords. No, love does not nurse grudges, but cancels the thoughts of revenge when they rise. As long as we are in these ‘earth suits’, weeds will work their way into our minds; BUT love uproots them every time, so that in HIS love, we may flourish. REFLECTION God’s love will always take you in the right direction, to do the right thing, at the right time to achieve the right results. Heavenly Father, Your love has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given unto us. It is in YOUR love that we revel and stand strong today. Thank You that You will help me today to cancel toxic thoughts about others and replace them with thoughts of love and goodwill. In Jesus name. Amen Golden Nugget for the day: “Love does not keep a tally of old scores, to be paid with interest when opportunity affords.” (Johan Potgieter)
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 06:55:33 +0000
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