Motive Check

​I like a good quote, and one of my favorite people to quote is King Solomon, the King of Israel almost 3000 years ago. I like Solomon’s proverbs because they not only express a truth, but they unlock a deeper truth as well. This proverb is an example. At first reading, the statement appears to be a “truth”...we know that “hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all wrongs.” We’ve seen hate-filled people turn violent and we can think of times we’ve been touched or challenged seeing someone act in love to forgive.
   
But I think there is more to this proverb. What if instead of just looking at it as a description of life, we used it to test our motive for the words we speak? Are my words going to stir up dissension or are they going to cover over (forgive) wrongs? We may not consider complaining about a supervisor to co-workers or sharing the bit of gossip we just heard with somebody else as hateful, but will it stir up dissension or will it forgive wrongs? What motivates dissension? What motivates forgiveness?
   
We usually don’t want to think of ourselves as “hateful”...such a strong word. But hatred has to start somewhere, and it often starts when we are wronged and feel justified for retaliating in some small way. In reality, both stirring up dissension and covering over a wrong/forgiveness are responses we choose when we have been wronged. Isn’t it odd that it is so easy to see when somebody else has wronged us but it is so hard to rightly judge the wrong response we choose to another’s actions? We say, “I’m not a hateful person” yet we choose to counter-attack by stirring up dissension.
   
One take-away for me from this proverb of Solomon’s was this: instead of saying, “I’m not a hateful person”, maybe I should say, “I don’t want to be a hateful person” and then look at the words I choose to see if I am living up to the person I want to be.
  
I believe the profession to which you have chosen to dedicate your life speaks volumes about the person you want to be. As I pray for you this week, I pray this proverb might help you see more clearly how to be that person.
   
Your service is appreciated, 
Pastor Rob