Steps to Growth

Steps to Growth

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?

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?