THE ONE WAY TO CHANGE EVERYTHING

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

Whoever conceals hatredwith lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.

Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

Proverbs 10:12, 10:18, 15:17, 17:17, 17:19, 21:21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

NOTE: From Proverbs, Chapter 10 through Chapter 22:16, Solomon writes a series of individual proverbs for us to consider. I will try and group similar proverbs in my devotions as I cover what Solomon wrote over these chapters.

As I write today, warships are parked off the coast of Syria awaiting an order to launch an attack against that nation’s leadership. The catalyst for this posturing and its associated threat was a chemical weapons attack during a civil conflict between the Syrian government and a group of rebels trying to unseat President Bashar al-Assad. In the attack, more than 1,400 Syrians were killed including more than 400 children.

This incident and many others like it in our world’s history, including the seemingly daily terrorist incidents around the world designed to kill or maim as many people as possible, bring to light a major problem in the hearts of people no matter the nationality. The problem is simply hatred.

It’s hatred that causes anyone to disperse a deadly nerve agent without concern for those who will die from it. It’s hatred that causes a suicide bomber to drive a car laden with explosives into a crowded public area and then detonate it without regard for loss of life, including their own. It’s hatred that would cause anyone to intentionally take the life of another.

Yes, hatred has plagued civilization for as long as Cain lured his brother Abel to a field and murdered him in cold blood, showing the same indifference over what he had done as countless murderers after him. It’s little wonder that after God gave the command, “You shall not murder”, Jesus came and enhanced it with the following:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”  Matthew 5:21-22

Jesus sought to not just address the action, murder, but the symptom as well (anger). Remove anger, the base element of hatred, and you can prevent murder. Better yet, maybe if we adopt a couple of other commands of Jesus, we can change everything. For as we see, all it takes is exchanging love for hate to make it happen.

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:34-39

That’s it! Love is the one way to change everything, eliminating hatred and promoting affection for others in its place. Well before Jesus, Solomon had things to say about love and hatred. Look again at the proverbs for today:

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Proverbs 10:18

Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:7

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. Proverbs 17:19

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21

Those who hate are fools, always sinfully looking to stir up conflict and promote destruction.

Conversely, those who love overcome and cover wrongs or as I always say, “Love always wins the day.” You can never go wrong when you love with the heart of the Father and when you follow Christ’s command to love God with all you have then all that you are will reflect His love.

When we do this, when we submit ourselves and our love to the Father and in turn receive His love to share with others, then and only then can we be a friend who loves at all times, one who will always be there to show love when others are going through adversity. Ultimately, loving as the Lord loves will lead us to the treasures of heaven, treasures that will bring us the ultimate prosperity, riches that are not found here on earth but only from above from the One who gives every good and perfect thing (James 1:17).

At the beginning of this devotion, I mentioned the current Syrian crisis. The solution to this matter isn’t about military intervention. Rather, it’s all about bringing people to love one another with the love of the Lord, a love that will eradicate hatred and lead others to lives of peaceful existence grounded in compassion and caring for one another.

This is the one way, and the only way, to change everything, now and forever.

Amen. 

In Christ,

Mark

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