HOW TO DEAL WITH HATRED...

By Adedoja Adewale

There is an absurd experience that most people normally have. It has to do with a feeling of hatred that just springs up from within the heart towards a person. It's considered easily solvable when the victim of this circumstance is guilty of an offence. But in some particular situations, you just hate somebody you see for the first time for no reason. Weird, right?

I don't know if you've ever been in this situation before, but I have. You may decide to push this feeling aside and you may decide to pay attention to it. Sincerely, no thought should be ignored. If it is godly, meditate. If it is ungodly, speak the word of God against it. That is just by the way anyway.

Titus 3:3- For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Hatred is a manifestation of the flesh, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Your hatred for a person may be as a result of his/her terrible attitudes, dressing, speech and all sorts. The truth is that hatred is a heavy weight that no one should condone. Apart from the fact that it drains your spirit, it also keeps you in a fix. You'd have loved to speak to the person, to honestly smile at him but hatred won't let you. Now this is something you must really tackle.

I acknowledge the fact that we are spirit beings and that when danger or evil is around us as believers, we sense it. This is to make us wary and prayerful. Not to deliberately nurture hatred towards the person.

If you find yourself in this situation, especially with no idea on how to break loose, some steps are outlined below. Please carefully study them.

1. Know why you hate the person. Ask yourself. Search your heart.

2. Counter your reason above with the scriptures. For instance, Reason; "I hate him because he's just too proud" Scriptures; 1 Corinthians 13:5(NLT)-or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love is not irritable. Not even by pride. Do you see it?

3. Take bold steps to befriend the person. This normally comes with a lot of struggle and hurt from within you. However, it is definitely one way to beat hatred out of you. As always, the Holy Spirit is paramount. Prayer is crucial.

You must know something. This is, the fact that you don't have to wait till you can confidently say that you hate a person. A little feeling of resentment is what eventually grows into full-blown hatred. Take note!