In the highly charged political climate in the United States it has become common place for people to use abusive and hateful language towards people who don't agree with them. I have even heard people wish death and destruction upon people they feel oppose their political views. It has even honestly gone beyond speaking, to the point that people have been physically threatened, assaulted, and even killed over politics. Now I am not speaking about one end of the political spectrum or the other, I am talking about all people.
Many if not most of the people doing this claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, claim to know and cherish the Bible. So I would like to share a few scriptures that might make those people examine their priorities in life and the things they are saying and doing. I would encourage reading all of first John if you have the time, but here are a couple of specific passages I want to look at.
1 John 3:14-15 14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:19-21 19We love him, because he first loved us. 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
So what I want to give people a RED ALERT, because we are letting things like politics bring us into a hateful state of mind. This is in opposition to what we as Christians are being called to do. We are called to love. The Bible compares those that hate their brothers to murderers, and says that such people don't have eternal life in them. It also says that if you say you love God and hate your brother, you are a liar. This is why I felt a need to write this as a reminder, not just for others but also for myself. I can't let the current level of discontent and lack of civility strain my relationship with my savior. I have to watch myself so that I don't fall into this world's state of hatred, and be doomed along with it.
Despite what the world does, we still need to love, we still need to pray for one another not curse one another. We still need to show kindness to people, not hatred. When you feel the love from above you want to share that all the time, and with everyone no matter who or what they are. You can't be all about love on Sunday morning, and then spend the rest of the day posting hateful and vile things on the internet and think you have a good relationship with God. You can't sing loud and shout amen in worship service and then spend the week screaming and shouting hate and attacking people.
So I encourage us all to examine ourselves and make sure we are in a good place mentally and emotionally where we can disagree with people but still love them. A place where we spend time studying about Jesus life and spreading his word instead of spending all our time learning about politics and spreading talking points and conspiracy theories to our friends and families.
I also warn you to examine yourselves and make sure you truly are in a good place spiritually with God. The things of this world are not worth you separating yourself from him. Being cheered by your co-workers, or neighbors, or getting likes on Facebook for hateful speech and actions could make you feel good here on the earth, but could endanger your standing in the afterlife.
Amen!!
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