1 Peter 2: Rid yourselves, then, of
all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. 2 Be like newborn babies,
always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow
up and be saved. 3 As the scripture says, “You have found
out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.”
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Tired of my scrawny
stature, I joined a gym. I didn’t know how to lift weights, but it couldn’t be
that hard, right? I watched the brawny people pick up heavy objects and put
them back down. I tried it myself and couldn’t. Some people approached me and
showed me what I was doing wrong. They had me start over using the correct form
and lighter weights.
- I was too embarrassed to ask for help, so I watched and tried to do things on my own.
- I knew I needed to do something different, but I did not know what to change.
- I needed to start off with what I could handle, then progress to something heavier.
Pater identified
steps to spiritual growth. First he gave a list of symptoms that would keep a
person from growing spiritually. He listed a small list of blockers that
included, lying, hypocrisy, jealousy and insulting language. These were probably
problems with those who wore masks and pretended to be holy. He then gave the
true remedy, namely becoming thirsty for spiritual milk.
My Observations:
- Embarrassment leads me to seek the wisdom of the world, BUT GOD wants me to seek HIS wisdom as the beginning of knowledge.
- Insecurity leads me to want to cover up my flaws, BUT GOD wants me to be secure in my faith with HIM so I can address issues versus covering them up.
- Starting over makes me think I will never arrive, BUT GOD wants me to tear down patterns of thinking that may have existed for decades.
Seeking GOD as a
little baby means I can’t think about what I ingest, I should just eat it up.
Unfortunately, there have been those who have presented the Gospel in a manipulative
way, causing me to have pause. BUT GOD has a remedy.
HE wants me to
listen to other people and read the Bible for myself. HE wants me to understand
the scriptures for myself and continue to seek HIS face with an insatiable
thirst. Life can bring hard lessons. That is why GOD wants me to know HE is
there with me at all times. I am grateful GOD has given the scriptures for all
to be comforted.
Challenge
- Why does the writer start the list with what to get rid of?
- Have you ever tried to hide your flaws behind a goody, goody mask?
- Will you start over with a better foundation and seek GOD as a little child versus seeing HIM through the world’s hurts today?
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