What It’s Like to Hate Someone

As we age, temptations can change. As old ones fall off, or at least lose some of their intensity, new ones may emerge. Our battle against sin changes fronts but our war against sin doesn’t cease. We may end up fighting different enemies, but we’re still fighting. At least, that’s been my experience.

One of the newer battles for me as I age is one I don’t think I’ve had to take seriously before: hatred. It sounds so ugly to even say the word. I’m embarrassed and ashamed as a follower of Christ that, having been loved so well and so mercifully by such a gracious and forgiving God, that I could ever bear actual hatred toward anyone. It’s no excuse to say I was pushed so far that hatred was inevitable. There are very few mitigating circumstances for such a recipient of love and mercy to feel such loathsome hatred.

But there it was. I finally had to admit it. It was frightening but weirdly liberating to say out loud: “Lord, I hate this person. I don’t want to. I hate that I hate. But I’m not sure how to stop.”

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