Good morning! Today is May 20, 2025. This past Sunday, Pastor Wayne (my dad) preached an incredible sermon on contentment that I’ve been ruminating on over the past few days. It’s really helped shift my mindset toward a more content and grateful life. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it — you can find it HERE.
What stood out to me was this: as Christians, we can either focus on hating evil or focus on loving the Lord. One mindset leads to frustration and fear; the other leads to peace and joy in His righteousness. Let’s dive in.
Today's Reading:
1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1
Scripture
“Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.” (Psalm 97:10-12)
Observation
Psalm 97 doesn’t call us to obsess over evil or live in fear of it—it invites us to love God deeply. That love naturally leads us to love what God loves and hate what He hates. When we center our lives on God’s righteousness, joy, and faithfulness, evil begins to lose its grip on our thoughts. It’s not about isolating ourselves or fighting every battle—it’s about wholehearted devotion. Hating evil isn’t about dwelling on darkness but choosing to walk in the light.
Application
Like putting on sunglasses, I get to choose how I see the world—either through the lens of joy and faith, or discouragement and despair. Today, I choose to see life through the lens of God’s goodness.
This means being intentional about what I dwell on, speak about, and where I focus my energy. I can easily waste time and effort on things that will never bear good fruit—but today, I choose a better way.
Prayer
Dear Lord, I fix my eyes on You, the author and perfecter of my faith. Help me to walk in joy, choose righteousness, and live with a heart that loves You more than it fears evil. You deserve my all. Amen.
– Aaron Cordeiro