Hates
“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” John 3:20
Hates – It was a scream I will never forget. “I hate you!” The emotional wave that swept over me nearly knocked me over. Perhaps you have never been in the presence of someone who said that to you, but if it has happened to you, you know what a crushing blow it is. That kind of hatred is not about some particular behavior. It is a judgment about your entire being. It covers everything that you are.
Miseo is the Greek word that John uses for those people whose lives are opposed to God. We need to understand that this word covers the total summary of everything that they are. It is not about a particular behavior. It is about what they stand for. And what they stand for is self. They hate the Light because the Light is about giving up self. Their lives are focused on one most important thing – what they want.
Did you notice that John says everyone who does evil hates the Light? He points at the consistent choices of our behavior. He says that if we practice putting self first we won’t be able to tolerate God’s light on our lives. We will hate the exposure. We will deny its reality. We will run for cover. Those who practice the choice of self first are like rats in the room when the light goes on. They all run to hide.
In God’s world, every act leads either to Light or to darkness. And every act that is focused on self control and self desires is a scream at God. “I hate you, God. You’re not going to tell me what I can do. It’s my life. I’ll do just what I want with it.” God lets us shout and scream. But he warns us. You are moving toward the dark. If you keep moving in that direction, the day will come when you will no longer be able to see who you are.
God wants us to wake up to the bright day of His Light. He sends us many alarm clocks as warnings. If we ignore His wake up calls, over time we will find that the world is always dark. Let God ring the bell to announce the Light. Don’t run toward the dark. Turn to the Light.
“Father, show me my own darkness. Expose the self control in my heart and bring it to the Light.”
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