There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and the one who sows discord among brothers.   Proverbs 6:16-19

I have dental phobia. I really don’t like to go to the dentist, but I have learned that having a checkup twice a year and getting a good cleaning along with good dental hygiene keeps my teeth and gums healthy. Therefore, I get to avoid painful procedures. It is also good to get regular medical checkups. This may allow us to detect and catch problems early before they become untreatable. Proper maintenance on our vehicles keeps them running better longer.

A spiritual checkup is also required to keep us on the right path. The devil is always trying to distract us and mess us up so it’s important that we stay in good spiritual shape. When was the last time you had a good head to toe spiritual checkup? Our scripture passage today tells us that God hates six things and seven are an abomination to Him. We don’t want to be doing something that God hates. So, maybe now would be a good time for that checkup. It’s time to weed out any behaviors before they become major problems.

First let’s take a look at the eyes. We are told in verse 17 that God hates haughty eyes. Are your eyes filled with pride?Pride can be terminal. We must be sure to remove any pride from our eyes and our lives. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that we should clothe ourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. We all need grace, right?

What about your tongue? Do you have a lying tongue? Have you convinced yourself that telling people what they want to hear is okay, even if it’s a lie. Tread carefully here, I am not talking about hurting someone’s feelings. We are told in Ephesians 4:29 that we should let no corrupt talk come out of our mouths, but only that which is good for lifting up so that it may minister grace to those who hear. Or, as my grandmother used to say, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut.” Lying to cover up something you did wrong is something God hates. Telling someone you will do something when you know you won’t is a lie. Telling someone that you did not do something that you know you did is a lie. God hates the lying tongue.

What about your hands. The Bible has a lot to say about our hands, but in our scripture passage today, we are told that God hates hands that shed innocent blood. Police officers operate under a force continuum. This means that they can match the level of force and go one level up to stop a threat. Excessive force is against God’s will. It becomes more about vengeance and less about justice. God calls on us to love mercy, seek justice and walk humbly with our God in Micah 6:8. Bullying and attacking innocent people will never please God. And, if you aren’t careful, He may turn His wrath on you.

How’s your heart? We are told that God hates a heart that devises wicked plans. You may think that if you are only making these plans in your mind and in your heart that no harm is done, but this is contrary to what the Bible tells us. We are told in Matthew 5:22 that if we are angry with another person and insult them and call them a fool that we will be liable to judgment and subject to hellfire. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that the LORD looks not upon outward appearance, but sees man’s heart. When God looks at your heart, what does He see, love and forgiveness or hatred and bitterness?

What about your feet? Are they quick to run to evil? When someone else plots evil are running to get involved? Better check your feet? Our feet should always be running to Jesus.

If you get all these body parts in line with God’s will, you should not have any problems with being a false witness or sowing discord. When our hearts are right with God, we want to please Him not do the things He hates. Proverbs 20:3 tells us that it is an honor for a man to avoid strife, but every fool will be quarreling.

If you love the Lord, you want to please the Lord. This means you don’t want to do the things that He hates or considers to be an abomination. If you haven’t performed a good self-checkup lately. I strongly encourage you to do so. Maybe you need to pray for God to cut out anything He hates before it becomes terminal.

Have a great day!