Two-minute read.
Sharing my opinion about a public figure on social media, I received a comment that baffled me. A friend attacked the person’s character, marriage, and faith, but didn’t address the post. Hypocrisy dripped from the words, and my heart ached with sadness as I realized not only that they believed lies, but also their rejection of God.
My friend’s words looked dazzling on the surface, but once investigated, they quickly revealed the hatred brewing in their heart. At the center of every matter, you can find spiritual warfare. Digging into a person’s views will eventually lead to the state of their heart.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 26:24
Sadness touches my heart when people believe in the world’s lies. Filling their souls with the smooth talk of the media’s headlines, then spreading it with pleasant words, covers the hatred they feed. Ask Jesus for discernment to identify the lies, and then pray for the person. Ask God to give them eyes to see and ears to hear, pray for them to give their hearts to the Savior, and experience the life change He gives us. Love defeats hate every time.
Pleasant words hide true feelings. Feeding hatred breeds it. The enemy wants us to dehumanize people, which then makes it easy to hate them. God values all human life; He makes us equal. When we fill our hearts with Jesus and strive to follow His example, we won’t hate people; we will love them, even those with a different perspective than ours.
Asking God for His wisdom will help you quickly identify those covering up hatred with their words. Don’t engage in hate; instead, pray for them, asking the Lord to soften and change their hearts. Only with divine intervention will they begin to see the truth. Become more like Jesus by leading with love and extending grace. In Him, we have all we need.
Journal Question:
When did someone cover up their hate with pleasant words?
In what ways do you protect your heart?
How can you fill your heart with love today?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us eyes to see and ears to hear the heart behind the words. Please let us respond in love and grace, lifting them to You and praying for their salvation.
IJNIP. Amen
