Justin Bieber reflected on the inner hate that he has been facing and how he has learned to overcome it by acknowledging that it is there without letting it consume him.

“I was always told when I was a kid not to hate,” Bieber recently shared on Instagram, per Fox News Digital. “But it made me feel like I wasn’t allowed to have it and so I didn’t tell anyone I’ve had it.”

“Which made me feel like I have been drowning, feeling unsafe to acknowledge it,” the singer continued. “I think we can only let hate go by first acknowledging it’s there. How couldn’t we feel hate from all of the hurt we have experienced?”

Bieber’s realization is extremely important as it is never a good idea to bottle up emotions over the long term. In this case, however, it is also extremely important for Bieber to recognize that hatred is an emotion that can lead to extreme damage as well if not diffused in the right way. Recognizing the hatred he feels is very vital, but rather than taking out his emotion on whoever made him feel that way, Bieber should turn to the Lord and ask Him for a supernatural intervention to process and then heal his feelings.

Hatred is an emotion everyone has felt at some point in their life, so Jesus taught extensively on it during His time on earth.

“Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him,” Jesus said in John 3:15. In this teaching, Jesus makes it very clear that hatred is a root of horrible sin that needs to be cut off. Thankfully, He also provides a path towards a clean heart free of hatred.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus said in Matthew 5:44. Anyone who has ever done this in earnest knows that praying for your enemy greatly softens your heart towards them. It is impossible to hate someone while truly praying for the Lord to bless their life. Thus, by asking the Lord’s favor upon them, you heart is transformed as well.

It is for this reason that someone like Paul — or any of the other apostles — could be so horribly treated by their enemies and even put to death for their faith and yet still have forgiveness for the prosecutors. Paul constantly preached to the guards who were abusing him and many lives were changed by this action when people saw that he loved his enemy rather than hated them.

Bieber has previously discussed turning to the Lord to help him overcome the scars from this past, and hopefully he will continue to do so as he confronts this hatred.

This article originally appeared on MOVIEGUIDE.org.