I Am Incapable of Hating

It has been a very long time since I last posted on my blog.  Recently I was sharing a story in my life that I feel really should be blogged.

Many years ago I took scripture and starting praying the scripture for my life.

Ephesians 3:14-19 says:

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

I began pleading with God to give me an understanding of how wide, long, high and deep is His love for us.  “HE ANSWERED THAT PRAYER!”

I must confess that the feelings I experienced were almost too much for me in a physical sense.  My heart overflowed with love for strangers!  I would see people walking on the street and ask God if they met Jesus yet.  I would find myself crying for their souls.  I would cry for the men picking up my trash and pray that they would come to know Jesus as their personal savior.  I even prayed for Saddam Hussein, asking the Lord to give him a Damascus Road experience!

There were times after this experience that I would find myself disgusted with certain people.  Jesus was faithful to that answer to prayer He had given me.  He would remind me, “Joyce, for her/him I died!”  I would remain disgusted with the situation but feel His Love towards that individual.  It made me dwell on praying for them rather than hating them!

A few years after this experience, I was in the middle of a confrontation with my teenage son.  He had caused trouble at school and I had to take off work to pick him up and take him home.  In our confrontation he made the accusation, “You hate me!” My response to him was, “Fortunately for you Buddy, I am incapable of hating!”  A rather strange response but a true statement!

While he was still grumbling at me I went into Praise mood!  I was amazed as I realized the truth of that statement!  I started an inward conversation with God!  “Oh Father, it has been years since I have experienced hate!”

I was so excited with that realization.  He had delivered me from hate.  I had been free from that emotion for so long I had not realized how freeing it had been!

GOD IS SO GOOD!

I just want to thank Him today for this great gift He has given to His children.  I pray that if you are reading this story, you too will seek this great gift from our great Father!