Seriously, you meant "hate"?

This verse has always confused me.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  Luke 14:26

Seriously.  Hate?  Like tear up their pictures and stick pins in a voodoo doll?! 

So I looked up the Greek word used for "hate".  My dictionary revealed this...to love less.

To me this verse now reads...If I am to truly follow Jesus, then I need to love all others LESS than Jesus.  Even those who are most precious to me...my mother, siblings, husband, and child...and even my beloved sister and father who went on before me.  I need to love all of them LESS.  Less than Jesus.

Pray for your enemies...

Awhile back I received a negative message, attacking my family.  My lioness instincts began to arise and I was ready to send back a quick, negative reply.  But I decided, like I do with my daughter - I will not reward bad behavior.  So I deleted the message.  Then I heard this in my spirit...

Pray for your enemies.

I sighed and said, ok.  So I said "Lord, please bring your peace to this person and draw near to them." 

Everytime the negative message comes to mind, I respond back with the same prayer.  Sometimes it's several times a day.  Sometimes it's none.  But just like an automatic tennis ball machine...I keep whacking each one back.  With a prayer. 

It's been working great.  I receive instant peace.  (Even if I have to do it several times a day).  And, like my preacher says "hurt people hurt people".  So I'm sure these prayers are going up for someone who really needs them. And who knows, I may be the only one in their life actively praying for them, right now, in this season.