Mind if I slam you?

1 Peter 1: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

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“Where were you?” questioned the person running the meeting. “We had a situation we had to take care of” was my reply and it was somewhat true. The situation was we had to settle the check at our long lunch that caused us to be late. “Whew, that statement worked, situation avoided” or was it?

Then it hit me… “Who were they to be critical of me?” Maybe I should tell everyone what they were doing last week.

• When I am dishonest it blinds me to truly seeing what is right.
• When I am deceitful I tend to cover myself by slandering “that” person.
• When I am full of slander I begin to form a mild variety of hatred that I quickly dismiss by pointing out their flaws.
• When I am caught in the act I quickly deny the situation or I put up my defenses saying “they made me do it” which shows my hypocrisy.

The best person I know to protect is “me.” I mean if it means I have to stretch the truth a little to protect “me” then who cares? A tiny fib won’t hurt will it? And besides GOD forgives me anyway so I’m clear right? Wrong! GOD saw through the Pharisees’ attempt of holiness mixed with sin and condemned their practice. HE won’t spare me unless my focus changes.

• GOD wants me to love those who are difficult to love.
• GOD wants me to act with the truth and diminish my deceitfulness.
• GOD wants me to admit my flaws instead of pretending they don’t exist like a hypocrite.
• GOD wants me to want HIM instead of envying someone else’s power, position or praise.
• GOD wants me to praise others instead of muttering bad things under my breath about them.

Craving “spiritual milk” means growing up through understanding what GOD wants of me, not what I want from HIM. It means understanding HE desperately loves me and has a wonderful plan for me as well as “that” person. Taste that the LORD is good.

• Are you hiding something?
• Do you know it is better to admit whatever it is so you can heal faster?
• Can you stop talking about “that” person and start talking about yourself?
• Won’t you ask GOD “what do you want me to do” and wait on HIS answer?