Weapons of Righteousness vs. Weapons of Hate

I know why it is so hard for me to lay down my "weapons of hate" as You have told me to do.

It hurts too much!

It seems that if I didn't hold my anger up like a shield, then I would have to grieve.

In all of this, I must first and foremost remember that I am Your servant, and act as such. I am not my own person any longer, but I am Yours.

hmmm: Something just occurred to me. I get angry when something I cherish is out and out attacked: people (especially those who cannot defend themselves), this small church body, the larger Body of Christ, You, (my own reputation, alas! Does one ever get to the place that it no longer matters?)

– Heaven –

oh.

And God help anyone who dares to attack my children!

I guess that tells us something about You.

1Cor. 6: 4-7 has the phrase, "Weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left."

Hey! That's what is to replace "weapons of hate"!!! But how easy it is for us to confuse the two! And both hands must be occupied, leaving no room to pick up the wrong thing. How can I know the difference?

– Read the rest of it. –

"Rather, as servants of God..."

(okay, You've spoken to me of being a servant)

"we commend ourselves in every way"

(this is how we can know the difference between true and false - do we commend ourselves as follows, or otherwise?)

"in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distress; in beatings, imprisonments and riots;)"

(hmmm, just because these things follow us it doesn't mean we're "wrong" or "yucky" or that we're not living "victoriously" somehow, or that our "sin" has left open a door for Satan's attacks. This all just seems part and parcel of the Christian's life.)

"in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;"

(some act as if we are sinning or dysfunctional if these ever happen!)

"in purity, understanding, kindness and patience"

(interesting that PURITY is followed by this particular triplet! When we think we are oh so pure, we so often follow it with condemnation, irritability and cruelty! Ouch!)

"in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love"

(an interesting duet! If we are truly in the Spirit, we truly, sincerely love!)

"in truthful speech and in the power of God"

(no truth, no power! Amen!)

"with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left."

(I still can't quite piece it together. help?)

okay - columns. If I list "weapons of righteousness" on one side, it stands to reason their opposite may fill out what are "weapons of hate".

                          

WEAPONS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS	WEAPONS OF HATE
1. Servant mentality, servant of God servants do as they're told, do not act on their own discretion. ( vs 4)	1. Ruler mentality, ie: "We have the right and the duty to control other people’s behavior. We decide what it’s the “right thing” for them to do in any given situation and then we try to make them do it.
2. Willingness to endure great hardship, and to endure it "greatly.” (vs 4-5)	2. Self protective. Looking after our "rights" and our reputations
3. Acceptance that things may get uncomfortable for me and may necessitate hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. (vs 5-6)	3. Insistence that our own comfort, be it physical or emotional, is of the primary importance. And fighting or destroying anyone who gets in the way
4. Purity, which is comprised of, or includes: a. Understanding b. Patience c. Kindness (vs 6)	4. Impurity, which here looks like a. Condemnation b. Irritability, self protection c. Cruelty
5. In the Holy Spirit (vs 6)	5. In the flesh (or worse)
6.In sincere love (vs 6) Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy It is not rude, it is not self seeking Love is not easily angered Love does not keep a scorecard of all the wrongs done either to it, or in the world. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts always hopes, always perseveres Love never fails. (1Corinthians 13)	6. With hate, dissension or with insincere "love" Hate is impatient and cruel. It envies and is rude and seeks the best for itself. Hate runs around angry and it always keeps a good scorecard of any wrong ever committed. It seems to take delight when others are over taken by evil, either through their own temptations, or other's disdain. Hate seeks to bring about shame and disdain onto the heads of the object of hatred. It generally won't trust. Because of all of this, hate becomes despairing and loses all hope. Eventually it loses the strength to persevere. At that point, it fails even itself. The worst thing that hate does is to the one who has it. It has the power to destroy us, even when we think that we have just cause to hate, as I all too well know!
7. In truthful speech (vs7)	7. Deceitful speech: slanting the truth to suit our cause (leaving out some parts, emphasizing others), cover- ups, flattery, half truths, "projecting" onto others and not looking at or admitting the real reasons behind our actions; self justification. The scary thing here is that we can even begin to deceive ourselves
8. In the power of God (vs 7)	8. In our own power or the power of darkness, be it sin or Satan.

Thank You, Lord for clarifying this for me.

Help me always to remember that Your ways are not our ways - that's for sure! Who would ever in their right mind think of things like compassion, understanding and such as weapons! But You do tend to do the improbable!

So please, whenever I fall into any of the weapons of hate that You have told me I must lay down, check me quick! And give me the grace to do Your will instead of mine, for mine is inevitably flawed. Help me never to use weapons of hate – no matter how great the injustice, no matter how defenseless the person who is being hurt is, no matter how many lies are being told or lives being harmed. Just because evil is being perpetrated, is no reason for me to act in such a manner.

Teach me instead to walk in Your ways and fight with Your weapons alone. For we are not to give up the fight and we are not to cave into evil. You have told us to advocate for the widow and the orphan, to seek justice for the downtrodden. Only we must do it in Your way and in Your power. Never our own.

LOVE                        HATE

"bears all things”            "I'm not about to put up w/ that! Not for oneminute!"