Hate well | Practical Prescription #6

Hate well | Practical Prescription #6 | Dr. Larry Baucom & Dr. Troy Doucet | May 21, 2023 

Pastors Larry Baucom and Troy Doucet discuss hate and how to use it appropriately in Practical Prescription (Week 6) “I will love an unlovable”. Using Romans 12: 9-13 as a Biblical reference, they ask the question “what comes to mind when you hear the word ‘hate’?” Too often, hate is tied to something destructive or evil – hate is a problem. Now, can hate be positive? Yes. Humans feel hatred for a reason, and what we choose to hate says a lot about us as people. We can hate dishonesty, child abuse, gossip, and murder because we value honesty, healthy children, integrity, and life. If hate is part of being human, we must learn to hate well.

Point 1: Hating well acts like our immune system.

Proverbs 6: 16-19

Hate is a word used in the Bible to describe a reaction to evil, so how is it like our immune system? Antibodies are created and sent to fight infections or sickness – the body hates the virus so it jumps into action to protect it. Our hate can protect the things we value, it can cause us to be motivated to change and grow – to be more like Christ.

Point 2: How we hate is an important aspect of hating well.

We should aim to solve problems, not create them. We should show love and respect to the person, and work to move against the problem. Hate should not be a defense mechanism used in retaliation; if we are not careful, we can hurt the things and people we love. So how do we hate, but not cause destruction? Learn to shift from feeling/attitude based subjective hate to right/wrong objective hate. Do not let your hate become personal, and do not lose control and explode. We make the shift when we allow God to change our hearts, to make us focus on loving the person and reacting against the “evil” of the situation. The way we react is often determined by our perspective, and thankfully, we can change that. There is joy to be found in the process of having our hearts changed.

The Prayer of Serenity

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. – Reinhold Niebuhr