A Time to Love... A Time to Hate...

There is so much I would love to write about this evening, but it's getting late and I have about 7 or 8 interviews tomorrow... I am going mainly for "practice," but who knows where God wants me, so yeah.

Mainly, what I wanted to write about tonight is something that a dear friend of mine, Emily, asked about tonight. She pulled me aside after BSM and said, "listen to this, (reading from the Bible... Ecclesiastes to be exact...) A Time to love and a time to hate. Why does it say this? When is it ok to hate?"

In response, my first thought was to say, well you know maybe it is just saying that we will love and hate, not that it's right, because the passage is talking about a time for everything. Since there were two pastors in the room at the time, she took her question to them, and of course I followed.

Their answers made a little more sense than mine. They pretty much gave the answer that it's like when we're angry and hate something horrible that happens. It does not mean it is ok to hate the person, just what happened. Also, they gave the example of Jesus turning over the tables where people had turned a holy place into a "den of robbers and theives."

I said, so you mean, holy hate? And they pretty much agreed.

So, HOLY HATE? What would this mean you ask? And why on Earth am I blogging about Holy Hate? While thinking about this, I have a few thoughts:

When I am not as close to God, I find that I am able to dismiss many things that are not something God would approve of as simply a choice people make. I will often think about the reactions of some people and accuse them of being too judgemental, i.e. drinking, pre-marital an extra-marital sex, homosexuality, just to name a few. I mean deep down I know that God does not approve of drunkeness and sexual sin, but with it everywhere in the culture and when you're not close to the Lord, it is so easy to just have a "for each his own" attitude. In these cases, I think about this Holy Hate idea, and when I adopt this "to each his own" attitude for myself, I am essentially justifying sin. If it is something that does not make God happy, I should hate that thing. Never hate the person, just hate that which makes God unhappy, those things that He hates.

I have gone through some struggles in the past year and half or so that I never imagined myself in. I knew deep down that I wasn't handling them the right way, but I was on auto-pilot. I was trying to get by and live day to day. Hear that, I was trying to. I, I, I. I was getting myself into things and dealing with unecessary heartache. I think that God hates to see us hurt. I know that God is so many things to us, and so many things we can not understand or comprehend this side of Heaven, but in my heart I know that the part of Him that's a loving Father HATES to see us hurt. I am thinking about this a lot this evening, too. The issues I am having right now are because I am trying to plan out my life. I think that God hates that. He has a plan, He's told me that, and I need to let Him bring it to fruition in my life. Not having faith is a sin, and God hates sin. He loves me, he hates my sin.


Amazing what God can reveal to you through the most unsuspecting verse. And, funny that Emily didn't know there's a Beatles song written from that passage... I feel so old. But seriosuly... I need to open my eyes and heart up to hear and see and know that he has a plan and that in order for me to be happy, I need to love him. I think that hate comes with love. You hate the things that are not pleasing to God, if you love Him. I guess that makes sense... it does to me anyway.

A song that got me thinking tonight and a long-time personal favorite: Strong Tower by Kutless... I love when a familiar song can mean something new and fresh to you when God has a message for you!



When I wander through the desert
And I'm longing for my home
All my dreams have gone astray
When I'm stranded in the valley
And I'm tired and all alone
It seems like I've lost my way

I go running to Your mountain
Where your mercy sets me free

[chorus]
You are my strong tower
Shelter over me
Beautiful and mighty
Everlasting King
You are my strong tower
Fortress when I'm weak
Your name is true and holy
And Your face is all I seek

In the middle of my darkness
In the midst of all my fear
You're my refuge and my hope
When the storm of life is raging
And the thunder's all I hear
You speak softly to my soul



Wow, the words of this song spoke to my heart tonight in the midst of the "stuff" that is going on. The first verse especially... I mean I feel so far from home both figuratively and literally. I feel far from home geographically, and far from God. I know this is because I am trying to do things alone. And the part about my dreams being astray... I am soooo good at planning out my life. I'm not where I pictured myself at all. I have no idea where I am headed... anyway, the song was a comfort. It was a "hang in there, kid" message from my Heavenly Daddy....

I think you're beginning to understand why this blog is called, Random Ramblings, huh? I hope I made some sense...