In Mayo Clinic’s website article, “Addiction: Social Commentary, I Hate Drugs,” is a heartrending testimony from the husband of an addict. He writes, “I HATE DRUGS…Soma is destroying the woman I love, it is affecting our relationship…It is taking the light, the life, the joy out of my woman…I can’t do any more to help her see what it is doing to her…I am so deeply in love with her, but I hate this drug.” As we read these words, we can understand why he has such a hatred of drugs.

Did you know there are things Christians should hate? In fact, truly loving God necessitates hating what He hates. In Proverbs 6:16-19 the Lord tells us, “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him.” “A proud look” is first on the list. Pride was at the root of Satan’s fall (Isaiah 14:13) and it will likewise lead to our rebellion. God hates “a lying tongue.” Just as the lies of Satan ensnared Adam and Eve with grievous woes, lies still wreak havoc on those who are victimized by lies. “Hands that shed innocent blood” is next. God hates it when greed or power leads to violence or the death of another. “A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations” makes God’s list because it leads others into the path of sin and hardness against the Lord. “Feet that be swift in running to mischief” are also hated by God. It is one thing to be overtaken by sin but quite another to intentionally run into the arms of sin. “A false witness” was such a detestable sin under the Law that the Lord instituted divine penalties as a strong deterrent (Deuteronomy 19:16-21; Proverbs 19:5). Perhaps the most heinous of the sins on this list today is: “he that soweth discord among brethren.” This surfaces in the form of gossip, character assassination, false accusations, half-truths, attempts to make others discontent, and negativity. Because unity among believers is so precious, yet so fragile, God says He hates this horrible sin, and we should too.

Do the sins in this list sound familiar? If you are practicing any of these, we urge you to stop immediately. If you are tempted to go down this path, don’t. When someone seeks to draw you into one of these sins, let them know that God hates this kind of activity. Let’s choose to hate what God hates.