Murder with Your Mind

Have you ever felt tempted to murder someone? Probably not. Well, you may have had impulses to hurt someone, but you wouldn't actually attempt murder… or would you? Keep Reading…

READ
Exodus 20:13 - You shall not murder.

REFLECT
And you think, "Phew… I got this commandment in the bag. Never would I think of actually murdering someone. Yes, I might get angry, and even wish a person harm. But, murder… that's way beyond my capacity."

When God spoke these words to Israel, he was setting up a new nation… a nation that previously had known great injustice and lots of killing. The Egyptians were brutal taskmasters. Unjust killing would have been normal. God wanted to make sure that murder was not commonplace among the new Israelite nation. In fact, murder was specifically forbidden.

Today, do you struggle with temptations to murder people? Perhaps, you have uttered terrible words wishing someone's death. But, you probably do not feel a great pull to follow through with killing someone. So, how can you relate to this command?

Jesus expands on this command in Matthew 5:21-22 by saying, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Anger precipitates murder, and this is wrong.

1 John 3:15 goes on to explain what murder is by saying, "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." So, do you ever struggle with hatred? Do you allow thoughts of anger and hatred to linger within your mind? Then you are a murderer.

Self-hatred and self-harm fall into this same category. It is murder at the core. Murder destroys the object of hatred and the one who is hating. Perhaps there is no physical death before your eyes. But, the spirit, emotions, and mind can have the life sucked out of them.

RESPOND
Allow the Lord to scan your life for areas of anger or hatred that you have left unchecked. If you sense his conviction, quickly make things right through repentance… not because someone else has finally changed, but because you desperately desire to be right with God. Obedience to God should always take priority over our feelings of injustice.