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Are You a Vampire...Jeff?

Drained - Hatred

Hey Tribe!

Do you like action movies?  I LOVE a good action flick!  The more explosions and car chases the better the action movie right?  Since I am in fact a comic book nerd it is no surprise that I really enjoyed The Dark Knight.  While it is a great action movie, one of my favorites, Batman really does have some issues right?  Think about it.  His parents are killed at an early age and the way that he ultimately deals with it is by dressing up in a costume and punishing bad guys.  No doubt Gotham is thankful but I'm not really sure that Batman is a healthy person because of it.  As a matter of fact throughout the movie Bruce Wayne constantly struggles with his "dark side" as he does throughout the comic book series.

I think we have that same struggle with our "dark side" as well.  Last night we discussed the way that hatred drains the life out of your walk with Christ.  If you remember, one of the things that I said was that the longer that you hang on to hatred, the more destruction it causes in your own life.  It could hurt your parents, friends and ultimately yourself.  God promises that if you let your anger go he will begin to heal you.  

The Bible goes so far as to call us "fools" if we don't restrain but entertain our hate.  

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."  (Proverbs 29:11) At the same time God doesn't call anger a sin.  In Ephesians 4:26 Paul writes, "In your anger do not sin" and goes on to say "do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." 

In His ministry, Jesus displayed love in his treatment of others and offered a message of peace.  Sure there were times when he was harsh with those who needed to hear the truth but His motivation was always love.  When we hate we take a detour from the way of life Jesus intended us to live.  Here are some ways for us to embrace the Fruit of the Spirit instead of the Deeds of the Flesh.

1. Resolve Your Anger:  Apologize to those you've wronged.  Forgive those who've wronged you (Colossians 3:13)

2. Get Help:  Talk to your parents.  If for some reason you cannot, talk to an adult who loves Jesus and cares about you.

3. Learn to Love:  Go to Galatians 5:22-23 and look at the Fruit of the Spirit.  Does your life look like that?  If not look for ways to begin to live a life that reflects God's love for you.  Maybe it is doing something nice for someone who can't repay you.  Maybe it is not slamming someone verbally after they have said something horrible to you.  

*Remember that Jesus loves you without strings attached.  If you sin against Him and ask for forgiveness, He will always accept you back.  If you ignore Him, He is still there.  If you aren't passionate about living for Him, He is still passionate about loving you.  Find a way to reflect that kind of love in your friendships, family and time alone.  Love you guys.

Matt