The Danger of Hatred

Anger and hatred may be the most lethal “rocks” you will face in this storm. Tom recalls his feelings at age 12: “I started to feel real anger toward my dad. I don’t like to use the word ‘hatred,’ but I had a terrible grudge. I couldn’t see how he could care about us if he left us. And I think I was saying inside that it’s my turn to let him know how I feel.”

Granted, anger is hard to resist; and it is quite natural for you to feel deeply upset right now. But nursing an angry and vengeful spirit can gradually poison your personality. The Bible says that “a calm heart is the life of the fleshly organism.” Surely, a calm heart is not full of bitterness. No wonder the Bible tells us to “let anger alone and leave rage.” (Proverbs 14:30; Psalm 37:8) Further, the Bible’s command to honor your parents even applies to honoring parents who have let you down.​—Luke 18:20.

So Tom has worked on his anger. He now says: “It’s easy to hold a grudge and think to yourself, ‘He’s the one that did wrong. It is right for me to hate him.’ But I started to ask myself, ‘Is this really right?’ And I saw that, no, it’s not. As a Christian, you can’t hold grudges.”

Of course, when the Bible says to let anger alone, it is not suggesting that you pretend your anger doesn’t exist. If your parents’ actions have hurt you, why not try talking to them about it, respectfully opening their eyes to your point of view?​—See Proverbs 15:22, 23; 16:21.