Saturday, August 1, 2015

Hate Devastates While Love Regenerates

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I Corinthians 13:!3

Because of the unexplainable travesties and tragedies that occur on a daily basis in our homes, our schools, our communities, and our society as a whole, we often ask, ‘What is wrong with this world?’ We tend to blame everything that is wrong on the world. The problem isn’t the world; it’s the people in the world! God made a perfect world!

I am sure that on any given day, you are shocked to hear of the crimes perpetuated by the hatred in our country. You are constantly hearing about the sickening and escalating hate of others, based on race, color, culture, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, social status, socio-economic status, etc. We call these ‘Isms.' They expressed as racism, sexism, ageism, etc. Because of the hatred and the resulting 'Isms' that seem to permeate our society, it has become difficult for many of you to continue to love in the midst of the hate. And many more of you are afraid to love ...fearing that hate is right around the corner.

It is important to recognize that the reason people get caught up in the various ‘Isms’ has little or nothing to do with the people they hate and discriminate against. These people have an innate yearning for misery. Their life is a living hell, to the extent that they do everything in their power to ensure that your life and the lives of others are also a living hell. Instead of enjoying life, they strive to destroy and end lives.

As a matter of fact, you, like many others in our society, see no reason or rhyme for the seeming massive increase in the murder rate of unsuspecting individuals by those who are filed with anger, bitterness, animosity, and outright hate. And because of the frequency of these hate crimes, many of you have probably become immune to the hate, along with the ensuing results.

Yes, the crimes put forth by Isis and Isis followers or Isis wannabe’s are of massive proportion. As a result, many of you tend to operate in a state of disbelief, despair, disappointment, fear, and vigilance, based on the crimes put forth by these groups. And most certainly, there are times when you hopelessly and helplessly watch the destruction, devastation, and demise of friends and loved ones by groups and individuals perpetuating hate. But, what is even more devastating is the anger and hatred espoused, not by Isis or other foreign groups, but by your mate, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors, and others to whom you have shown love.

I know you would like to be able to love everybody and you want people to love you in return. However, it is very difficult to love, when there seems to be so much hate! Not only do you face hate on your job, among your friends, and in your church, you are also faced with hate from within your own family. It is quite tough to hold onto love when you are surrounded by so much hate.

Hate is a debilitating and destructive emotion. It tears at the very fiber of your being. And you cannot claim that you love while you are entrenched in hate.    Hate is a disease that is festered by your words, your looks, your thoughts, your feelings, and your deeds. Hate doesn’t allow for forgiveness and if it is not removed, it will consume and eventually destroy your mind, body, and spirit.

As a matter of fact, when you are mired in hate, you block the flow of positivity, blessings, and favors that are designed to enter into your life. The more you engage in hate, the more powerless you become. Those who live a life of hatred are not truly living at all. It is difficult to feel the beat of your heart, which is the essence of who you are, especially when you are carrying hate for others in your heart. You must remember, ‘your heart is too small to carry anyone in it.’ Hate consumes while love balloons! 

Families throughout America are suffering as a result of the hatred put forth by too many seemingly ordinary and God-fearing people. Far too many law enforcement officials, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, colleagues, employees, neighbors, and others are so entrapped by self-hatred, that they project that hatred onto the innocent. This hatred, which starts within your heart and your mind, has become a disease, infecting the very fiber of who we are. 

Now is not the time for you to give in or give up, based on the hatred espoused by people all over the world. Even if others around you tend to ooze daily acts of hate, it is imperative that you remain in the sunrays of love, even though you are faced with the darkness of hate.    And you are probably wondering, ‘How can I do this?’

I know that your haters have been, and in many cases still are plenty. However, in the words of radio personality Porsche Foxx, “Make your haters your motivators.”

Here are some tips to help you to continue to love and motivate yourself in order to rise above and beyond the hate that is all around you.     


1.     Seek Godly Love-FIND AN ANCHOR! A spiritual anchor, something/someone to hold onto…not your children, your friends, your mate, your pastor, or your church folk. They will disappoint you! God is my anchor!

2.     Find Self-Love-You must take an introspective view within, to learn to love yourself, accept yourself, respect yourself and be yourself, in order to do the same for others

3.     Show Appreciation & Gratitude--For who you are & what you have- Showing appreciation and gratitude to God for who you are, while keeping you in perfect harmony, will allow you to continue to love in the midst of hate

4.    Accept Yourself—Hatred can only breed in the hearts and the minds of people who have not accepted themselves. You must come to accept yourself, with all of your faults, frailties, and other findings. Self-acceptance fosters love for you! If you hate you, you will most certainly hate others.

5.     See others Through the Eyes of God-You must begin to see others as they are and not the way you want them to be, Stop judging and stop trying to change people.
  
6.    Stop Envying Others-Envy breeds animosity and false information about who you think people are and it fosters hate instead of love. Everyone has his/her lot in life…find yours. You never know how people got to where they are, including their struggles and sacrifices

7.    Stop Looking On the Outside to Fix the Inside-Everything you need is right inside of you. Stop looking for crutches to hold you up, blaming others for what you have or don’t have, as well as where you are or aren’t in life.

8.    Give Yourself & Others Permission to Make Mistakes-Unrealistic expectations of yourself and others often cause frustrations, disappointments and hatred. It’s okay to fall, falter, and fail; the problem is not getting back up. Let go of the mistakes you have made. When you stop focusing on your mistakes, it will be easier for you to overlook those of others, fostering love and acceptance. If you can give yourself another chance, you can give others another chance

9.    Forgive Yourself & Others-LET STUFF GO! People are too large to carry in your heart.  When you see them in the light of God, no matter what they have done, you will behold them with the gift of love. You don’t have to live with them or hang with them, just love them and you will feel much lighter.

10. Ask for Help— Talk About Your Feelings & LET GO! -When things get to be too much for you to handle and you find yourself becoming emotionally distraught, distressed, depressed, and angry, share your feelings with a trusted person. Let someone help you! And if a family member or friend can’t, won’t, or doesn’t know how to help you to place your feelings in perspective, seek professional help.

11. LEARN TO SMILE & WALK AWAY—An ‘eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ don’t fit any more. In this day and time, hate is manifested in guns, knives, and other weapons. Ask yourself,  ‘Is this my battle?’ ‘Can I change the person and/or the outcome?’ ‘What do I lose by not joining the hate bandwagon and walking away?’ ‘Do I lose anything by continuing to love in the midst of hate?’



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