I thought I could have a political discussion with a family member via email, but I said something that upset him. He swore at me. One week later, I heard about a Christian who spit on a woman who does ultrasounds for women who want abortions. Sadly, the email the family member sent me was plain hateful and hurtful. The woman who was spit upon also experienced a hateful act.
I once worked for a local cable channel, and a co-worker who directed me didn’t like how I ran the camera. It seemed as if he hated me. Another woman I never had a good relationship with disliked me too. Furthermore, I was picked on as a kid because I had learning difficulties. I felt all the kids hated me based on how they treated me.
Sometimes, I feel I have some good reasons to dislike people. Nevertheless, God wants us to love one another. Many people have hurt me by their actions, affecting my life. However, it’s wrong to hate other people. In the end, I hurt myself and disobey God.
When people hurt us, we need to forgive them. One night, a friend’s wife told me she felt the Lord telling her I needed to forgive my mom. My mom, a recovering alcoholic, committed suicide when I was fourteen. We will encounter people we don’t like and who don’t like us. But we should pray and ask God to help us not to hate but to forgive them.
Think of someone you need to forgive.
Ken Ebright is a former Minnesotan who lives in Belleville, Illinois. He plays a keyboard, sings in a men’s choir, and does street witnessing.