Yeah. I am still chewing on this. Allowing God to continue to deepen our understanding is how we gain knowledge and ultimately wisdom. So what is still rolling around in my mind? My point from the last post.

Fight Hate – Use Personal Responsibility And Self Control.

What if we can’t? We can’t fight hate with personal responsibility and self control in our own strength and to flippantly state that without this extra thought process is to promise pipe dreams and false hope. Our flesh without Jesus is the rebellious human nature that stand in opposition to God’s value system.

I saw this post on Facebook which is what prompted this 2nd posts:

Wasn’t that exactly how Esau lost his birthright in the first place?

Genesis 25:29-34 Jacob cooked some stew and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. He was tired and exhausted. He asks Jacob to feed him some of that stew. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” And he did. And he sold his birthright for soup!

Sidenote: How easy is it to get all tripped up and make not great decisions (might I say sinful actions) when we are weary, tired or in need?

Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28) Jesus felt deeply for those who are weary. The weary are the desparate. And when we are desparate, we often feel that things are out of control. We tend to take matters into our own hands in those conditions. We feel like we have no one that will take up our case or plead our cause. No one to care for our needs. Ever felt like that?

Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

Jesus understands!

When we are weary, we often fall back, land in a lack of discipline position, and let things go. We end up lacking personal responsibility and self-control. That is when the enemy can swoop in and deceive us. The enemy will drop thoughts in our minds like Esua thought that the birthright was not big deal or not of much value or he will use people suseptable to suggestions from a well meaning others like Jacob (whose name meant deceiver) and his mother to steal the blessing too.

As I am writing, I am thinking to myself, “How does being weary lead to hate?” I came across this verse in Heb 12:3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. Consider Jesus who endured more hate than you could possibly understand. Consider what he went through when you become weary and discouraged? Why? Because when we find ourselves in this place, this is when we are most susceptible to giving up. It is here that we stop striving against the sin that makes war in our souls.

Here’s the thing when we consider what Jesus endured, we remember that what He did on the cross, He did as us. Those of us who believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus – we died that day with Him. When He rose, we rose. We have the victory. We have to consider that and walk it out. Striving against the sin God hates ( the pride, our lying tongues, our hands seeking to shed innocent blood, our hearts that devise wicked plans, our feet that are prone to run after evil, bearing false witness, and the ways we sow discord among the brethen) When we become weary, our defenses fall, and boom we walk out sinful and hateful ways. We can’t do this life in our own strength! Stay in the grace of God! We can’t hate others when we live here.

1 Cor. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Seriously, if not for the grace of God, we would all find ourselves in the worst of ways.

Heb 12:12-17 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

If not for Jesus we all would be rejected. Esua found no place for repentance. Meaning he wasnt concerned with repenting of what he had done wrong. He just spent the time seeking the blessing that was stolen with tears.

The repentant heart prizes the inheritance and the blessing given to us in Christ Jesus!

Perhaps our response to hate ought to be great gratitude that is willing to releases hate and hold on to the grace that gave us forgiveness while we were yet sinners.

Thanks for listening,

Starla