Be a Hater

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Gentlemen, every day is a battle. A battle for your faith, your family, and your purpose. The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives, they prepare before it begins. Welcome to the Men's Morning Devotional. Let's get into God's word. It's time to man up.

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Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Chris Muinya, and it's time for another Man Up Moment. This week I'm continuing through Proverbs chapter 8, and today's devotional being about hating what God hates. I encourage you to share this devotional with someone who you think would benefit from it. Proverbs chapter 8, verse 13 says this to fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. We live in a culture that tells men to be confident, assertive, and unapologetic. And there's nothing wrong with confidence. God wants us to be strong men. But there's a difference between confidence and pride. Confidence says, I know who I'm being because I know who I belong to. Pride says, I don't need anyone, including God. It's no coincidence the homosexual agenda has coined the term pride, but that's a different topic altogether. Proverbs chapter 8, verse 13 says, Give us a picture of what it means to genuinely fear the Lord. It says that if we respect and honor God, we're going to develop a hatred for the things that separate us from Him. And notice what Solomon specifically mentions pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech. These aren't just outward behaviors, they reveal what's happening inside a man's heart. Pride is dangerous because it convinces us that we're doing fine when we're actually drifting. A proud man doesn't want correction. Proud man always has an excuse. Proud man blames everyone else. Proud man struggles to say, I was wrong, but a godly man is different. A godly man can receive correction. He can admit when he messed up. He can apologize to his wife and tell his kids, hey, dad was wrong. He can go before God and say, Lord, change me. That's not weakness, that's strength. The verse also says, I hate evil. That doesn't mean we hate people who do wrong. It means we develop a hatred for sin because we understand what sin does. It damages marriages, it destroys trust, it wounds children, it corrupts our character. It separates us from God. And sometimes the evil we need to confront isn't out there, it's inside. It's in here. It's the anger we justify, it's the pornography we hide, it's the gossip we entertain, the dishonest business deal, the flirtation we call harmless, it's the bitterness we refuse to release, the words we speak when we're frustrated. Mana means being willing to look in the mirror and deal with what's there. It's easy to point out the problem in everyone else. It's harder to allow God to expose the problem in us. But that's where the real transformation begins. A man who fears God doesn't ask, how close can I get to sin without technically crossing the line? He asks, What can I remove from my life that is pulling me away from God? That's a different mindset. We don't avoid sin simply because we're afraid of punishment. We avoid it because we love God and understand that his ways are better. So today, don't just ask God to bless your life. Ask him to clean up your life. Give him permission to confront the pride, the attitude, the habits, the words, the behaviors that don't belong. Because real strength isn't pretending you don't have weakness. Real strength is having the courage to surrender them to God. So here's your man up challenge. Today, ask yourself one uncomfortable question. What is one attitude, habit, or behavior in my life that I know God wants me to change? Now don't make excuses, don't blame someone else, name it. Name it out loud even. Then take one specific action to confront it today. If it's pride, apologize to somebody. If it's anger, choose silence, walk away before you react. If it's your language, control your words. If it's temptation, remove the access point. If it's bitterness, choose forgiveness. If it's hidden sin, bring it into the light with God. And when appropriate, a trusted godly man. So your challenge today is simple. Don't manage your sin, confront it. Ask God for the courage to hate what He hates and love what He loves. So man up, get honest, get humble, and get right with God. So let's pray. Father, search my heart and show me anything in my life that doesn't honor you. Forgive me for the pride, arrogance, attitudes, words, and behaviors that I've justified or ignored. Give me the humility to receive correction and the courage to change. Help me hate sin without becoming judgmental towards others. Teach me to love what is good, speak what is right, and live with integrity when nobody is watching. Make me a man who fears you more than I fear people's opinions. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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All right, gentlemen, you've heard God's word. Now go live it. Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do. Share this devotional with another brother. Remember, every day is another opportunity to man up.