For those who received the new cover to my latest release, it has now been updated with the hand removed. If you would like to view the latest version, go to my Books/Awards page.
Using Hate to Kill
I’m sure you’ve all heard the story of the father who killed his five children this past week. This is becoming an all too common occurrence in this country. It’s the old “if I can’t have them, you can’t have them either” scenario.
It’s all about hate.
Hate can be a dangerous thing. It can fester and pool in the pit of your stomach and grow into a full blown tumor of anger and need for revenge. It keeps that person we dislike in the forefront of our minds until we are so miserable there’s nothing else we think about.
However, God doesn’t want us to hate others. He wants us to love one another, especially our children. 1 John 3:15 tells us that Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. You cannot be a true believer in Christ if you carry hate and anger in your heart. There’s no room for those emotions and the love of the Lord.
When getting divorced, I decided not to make our children miserable with our problems. It wasn’t their fault we weren’t remaining married. Why should they pay for it? Too many parents can’t wait to put the other down to “get” the upper hand in a relationship with their child. In doing so, you’re only making your children uncomfortable. And in time, they’ll realize what you’re doing.
If the other parent is doing things that are wrong, pray for them and/or take them back to court, depending on the seriousness of the issue. But don’t push it onto your children to deal with. Also, in time, kids figure that type of stuff out. If mom is using the child support to go out on Friday nights, the child will realize there’s no money for dance lessons because of it. If dad cares more about his new girlfriend then his children, the kids will figure this out. You don’t have to shove it down the kids’ throats..
And by all means, love your children more than you hate the other person.
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Hate hurts the hater more’n the hated. – Madeline L’Engle
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Do you know what the best revenge is against your ex? It’s not to berate them in front of the children. The best way to get even is to be happy. There is nothing they would probably dislike more than to see you happy without them. Also pray for their happiness also. Not only because as a Christian you should, but do it for your children. Wouldn’t it be better for you kids to live in a home with happy parents, even if they are not together.
You’ll also discover that the more you pray for someone, the less you dislike them. Funny how that works.
So take the upper hand. Prove to your children that you love them enough not to create all the drama that separations and divorce can bring on. In the end, your children will love you more for it.
If you or someone you know are in need of prayer this week, please let us know. We’d be more than happy to pray for you.
And if this post moved you in some way, please feel free to share it.