God said to Noah, I intend to make an end of all flesh, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I will destroy them and the land. – Genesis 6:13

Let’s admit it. We love violence. If an alien from another planet were to spend a week on Earth, it would probably think we even worship violence. From our favorite sports to our blockbuster movies to our popular video games, violence is one of the foundational ingredients – in some cases, the foundational ingredient – that makes such entertainment options attractive.

What we often overlook in our lust for violence is that God absolutely hates it. Although certainly sins like immorality, thievery, and deceit existed before The Flood, God didn’t cite such things in Genesis 6:11-13 as reasons for destroying the Earth. He cited violence, defined as “desecration, infringement (on others’ rights), outrage, assault, and lust for power.” To God, violence isn’t a minor thing; it was the main reason for destroying the old world.

Am I claiming that it is a sin to watch football? No. What I am claiming is that we as Christians need to understand just how much God hates the sin of violence. Most of us don’t. For example, we often give place to angry – sometimes, hateful – thoughts about someone who has wronged us. God calls that murder in 1 John 3:15. If something doesn’t go our way, we allow violence into our thoughts in the form of bitterness. In Ephesians 4:31, God equates bitterness with wrath, anger, brawling, and contention. In our pursuit of power or money or fame, we trample on the rights of others without giving it a second thought. Proverbs 28:25 states that the greedy man stirs up strife. In short, every time we are hateful or bitter or greedy, we are guilty of the sin that prompted The Flood.

Even if you are not outwardly violent, God is not pleased with you if you are prone to violence in your heart. If you struggle with violence, it is because you don’t have the love of Christ dominating your spirit. As 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 proves (See also The Key to Having Christ’s Character), the love of Christ stomps out wrath in our hearts. If violence is normal for you, recognize your sin, repent of it, and begin the hard work of daily walking with Christ. The more you walk with Christ, the more Christ’s love will replace man’s wrath, and the more you will please your Lord.

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