Hateful: #4 – Good Guys Gone Bad

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV

It’s hard to imagine God hating anything. Yet, here it is: God’s Top 7 Hate List. Today, we’ll work on number four.
#4: A heart that devises wicked schemes.

Movies and TV fill screens with good guys gone bad. Star Wars’s Anakin Skywalker becomes the evil Darth Vader. Batman’s prosecutor Harvey Dent morphs into the criminal, Two-Face. The Incredibles’s Buddy turns into the maniacal Syndrome. Each possessed great potential for good, yet chose to use their gifts for evil instead.

We all begin life on the dark side until Jesus comes and replaces our heart with His own. He changes our very core and now, we have a choice: good or evil. Romans 6: 13 NIV says:

“Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”

We have a debt to pay. God, through Jesus, has brought us from death to life. We now have a responsibility to Him. So, what does this look like?

If you’re a people person, do you encourage and build others up or do you spread gossip and quarrels among friends? (see #7)

If you are skilled in athletics, do you model good sportsmanship? Do you help the weaker members of your team improve their skills? Or, do you take cheap shots at the other team, foul unnecessarily, and put down your teammates when they don’t perform to your level?

If your grades are stellar, do you help those who are struggling? Or, do you complain about the one point you had taken off for spelling?

Use your heart and your mind (and all your other parts) for God and His Kingdom. Keep your scheming focused on things that benefit the Kingdom and please the Father. Be an instrument for good. Don’t be Two-Faced.