In the section of Psalm 119 we are reading today that the psalmist declares his hatred for double-minded men. This kind of expression is not unusual in the psalms. In Psalm 31:6 the psalmist says he hates those who worship idols, and in Psalm 139:21 the psalmist says he despises those who hate God and that he has “nothing but hatred for them.” Many Christians react against this as unbecoming of a Christlike attitude. But didn’t Christ also say, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26)? In all these cases ‘hatred’ needs to be qualified. The expressions of hatred are not personal; they are expressions of commitment to God which involves spurning bad influence wherever that may come from. The hatred here is directed towards the bad influence. The closer people are to us the more influential they are, hence Jesus’ warning that following him might mean enmity with family members (as undesirable as this obviously is). To walk with God we must be willing to spurn bad influence, wherever that comes from. I have seen many people fall away from walking with God and the single most common reason for this is the negative influence of other people. We all want to fit in, but, as Christians, we need to be prepared for the fact that we are living against the current of worldly life. The current is strong so we need to be intentional and determined if we are to keep the right course.
Reflect on who is influencing your life.
Read Psalm 119:113-128
