Bottom Seven

What this episode covers

Proverbs 6:16These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:Proverbs Daily is a reader-supported publication. All posts are free, but all donations help spread the message. When you see the word “upgrade,” you’re simply invited to help me make the sacred positively contagious...thank you in advance for becoming a free or paid subscriber.So…what’s your top five?Top five rappers.Top five singers.Top five movies.Top five albums.Top five preachers, if you’re feeling extra churchy and dangerous.We love ranking what we love: constructing our own Mount Rushmore!Spotify tells me my favorite songs.Netflix gives me my top picks.Amazon has recommendations waiting before I even know I need socks, batteries, or another gadget I probably should not buy at midnight.Everything is learning what I like.My taste.My patterns.My preferences.Look at how Proverbs flips the whole thing.Instead of giving us God’s top five, wisdom reveals God’s bottom seven.Proverbs 6:16 says:“These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:”Yep…that is strong language.Hate.Abomination.These are not soft words.But notice something important.This passage is not showing us personalities or people God hates.It is showing us practices that destroy personalities and people.That is a huge difference.God does not hate people because they irritate Him.God hates what deforms us.God hates what makes us less human.God hates the things that poison community, corrupt the heart, twist justice, and turn neighbors into targets.Back in the day, Public Enemy had an album called Greatest Misses.I always loved that title.Because sometimes a miss can teach you.A miss can show you what is off.A miss can reveal where the aim went wrong.And in a strange way, Proverbs is giving us a holy list of greatest misses.Not because God is petty.But wisdom is showing us that we have to recognize what misses the mark.A proud look misses the mark.A lying tongue misses the mark.Hands that shed innocent blood miss the mark.A heart plotting wickedness misses the mark.Feet running toward evil miss the mark.A false witness misses the mark.A person stirring up conflict misses the mark.These are not just bad habits.They are anti-human habits.They break down what love is building up.They unravel trust.They make the world harder to live in.And here is where it gets personal.God has a repulsive reflex to His Bottom Six.There are some things divine love rejects immediately because love knows what those things do to people.The question is: do I have a holy repulsive reflex too?Not toward people.Toward the things that destroy people.Do I flinch when I feel pride rising in me?Do I get bothered when I catch myself bending the truth?Do I feel the warning light when I start enjoying conflict?That kind of reflex is not condemnation.It is wisdom waking up in the body.Sometimes spiritual growth means learning what to love.And sometimes it means learning what belongs in your bottom seven.🔥 REMEMBERGod hates what makes people less human.🙏🏽 PRAYERLord, train my reflex to reject what destroys love today.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEExamine your repulsive reflex today. Notice one thing that should bother you more than it does: pride, dishonesty, conflict, cruelty, or injustice. Don’t aim that disgust at a person. Aim it at the pattern, and choose one wise action that protects love.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app  or just click that Subscribe button right now! Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at <a...

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