The Spite-Factor

Spite is rife with negative undertones. To be spiteful carries with it the essence of passive vengeance. In one context, it creates personal hurt to receive fairness. Like to cut out from a Will's large inheritance surviving nieces or nephews for daring to complain. It is ugly-spirited name-calling at a reporter for daring to question. It is yet another lawsuit among strings of lawsuits, this time slapped against a ghost-writer's spoken experiences. It is "me-first"-spirited lines drawn to protect the pocketbooks of ones who already have abundance.

Spite is a reaction that can play out in various scenarios. Its intent is well thought-out, and it's strategy is clear: To deflect. To be hurtful. To cause someone else pain. For a win/lose rather than a win/win. Anything to help the spite perpetrator to appear stronger than all others.

Spite is the essence of selfish bullying. It is the sneaky and intentional low-blow in a professional boxing match. Its underlying barbaric vengeance resembles two pit bulls in a dust-filled arena, fighting to the bitter end, with maybe one survivor. When the survivor is the bully, he or she feels entitled to accolades and trumpet sounds.

My recitation on spite shares just one of many take-aways, namely: There are just a few elite, temporal "winners," and there are a host of unexpected losers. Distinguished spite might be within the rules of the pompous, gleaned in elite military academies. Its narrow-minded patterns of one-up-man-ship are haunting, daunting, digressive, and worst of all highly contagious.

A history of spiteful actions, on steroids, carries with it little, if any, humility. And, it omits one key ingredient: The God-realm. When we humble ourselves before the Living God, we do our part. And then, we do not fear placing the outcome, "winning" or not, to Creator Almighty's wisdom and discretion. Surprisingly, the attitude of humility pertains to everyday life as well as every aspect of the democratic voting process...

Intentionally-tamed reactions, that follow the path of humility, and the ability to concede to defeat at the appropriate time, permeate from those who are actually downright... fearless.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

(Micah 6:8)