I Hate the Word Hate!

60 Day Photo Story ~ 11/60

The Photo Story continues...

DAY ELEVEN: a picture of something you hate

I hate Mondays. I hate my job. I hate when it rains. I hate my body. I hate dogs. I hate my hair. I hate spinach. I hate doing laundry. I hate being broke. I hate to get up early. I hate spiders. I hate traffic. I hate waiting in line. I hate your attitude. I hate slow drivers. I hate to read. I hate paying bills.

So after reading that first paragraph, what is your image of me? I guarantee it is not a positive one! For the record, I was not speaking for myself with any of those statements, they were merely to make a point. Today for my photo story I am to post a picture of something I hate. I have a problem though... because I hate the word hate!

Hate can be the death of us... the literal tag tied to our toes. I know I've used the word before, I refuse to claim perfect innocence... after all it's a word that fits right into the human language. But is it no wonder a person's day/week/month/year goes so badly when that word is used so often? How many times have you been in a conversation with someone and heard them incorporate the word hate in the conversation? Just to make a point, I scrolled through my Facebook news feed and counted the number of times the word hate was used in status updates: Nine times... NINE times people! That was without clicking on "older posts" at the bottom of the page to look for more. My Facebook is not a compilation of random people that have sent friend requests either, they are all people I know personally through work, church, school, online communities, family, etc.

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
(Matthew 12:34)

If the word hate is being used so often in our speech, according to God in the book of Matthew, that is exactly what is consuming our hearts! Hate! Shouldn't we then be working our hardest to erase that word from our vocabulary? After all, God is love (I John 4:8), and although I've heard the saying "the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference", frankly I call that hogwash. Granted, you may like something, but not love it, just as you may dislike something, but not hate it... the relevance is close enough for me to ask, is it really necessary to exclaim the word hate so often?

What we speak reflects our heart. A day can be completely changed by what comes out of our mouth. If death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), then shouldn't our words reflect positive thinking, uplifting words, encouraging motivators for those that hear us? We are to be a walking, talking, singing, rejoicing testimony that brings God glory! How does "I hate..." do that?

Our children, our enemies, and our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord see our actions and hear our words. These should be actions and speech of encouragement, positivity, and uplifting motivators... regardless of how we are actually feeling or what we are actually thinking. The enemy can and will use the words that come out of our mouths for his benefit, trying his best to steal any and all glory from God as much as possible. Be a vessel for the Lord instead and overcome gloomy thoughts by speaking things as though they were.

Let's look at some of the statements from the first paragraph:

"I hate my job" can be rephrased as "Thank you Lord for an outlet to pay my bills while so many others cannot. I'm going to watch for ways to make the best of a position that could otherwise get me down."

"I hate Mondays" can instead be "It's a new week, I'm going to make the best of it by setting a goal for myself that will benefit you Lord!"

"I hate waiting in line" can be changed by saying "Lord if there's someone here by me waiting too that doesn't know you, help me to be a witness to them making the wait worth the while!"

"I hate your attitude" can be worded into "I disagree, and will pray (be sure you actually DO pray) that the Lord helps you through your circumstance!"

"I hate paying bills" should be said as "Thank you Lord for providing for me so I can pay these bills. If they are unnecessary uses of the money you have blessed me with, please help me better manage your provisions!"

"I hate my body" is a direct insult to the Lord's creation and can be made into a prayer that says "Lord, you have made me in your image, help me to care for it and appreciate it in a way that pleases you!"

ANY phrase that uses the word hate can be transformed into a positive outlook that either blesses, encourages, gives thanks, or requests the Lord's help in your life without passing on a negativity that is so influencing on others. Remember, what you hate reflects who you are and what you value. What you hate gives meaning to what you care about... so is it reflecting what God would want you to share with those in your company? If it truly is something you despise, rather than speaking about the hate, why not use that passion as a motivating factor to make a difference through prayer, alternative action, self control, encouragement, or as a way to better yourself!

Hate can be a useful way to motivate. However, it is to reject, to fear, to stray, to abandon, or to resist. Yet love is so much more useful and pleasing to the Lord. It is to invest yourself, to move forward, to give, empower and inspire. Either emotion can tell you a lot about yourself, and convey so much to those around you. What message are you sending?