Here is Something That Can Stop You!
I remember early in my Christian life I was growing like a proverbial weed when all of a sudden I realized that growth had slowed. Then one day I noticed it had literally stopped. Why? I didn't know. My Christian walk had slowed to a crawl, and I wasn't enjoying reading the Scripture anymore, but how could this happen? I couldn't get to the bottom of it.
Over the next few days I saw the following verse in I Peter 2. It hit me right between the eyes and forced me to do something that I would have probably never done on my own. What was it? Well, to be honest, it was failure to forgive. I had harbored pure hate and anger in my heart for almost a decade toward my stepmother who orphaned me, my brother, and sister, and had stolen my late father's inheritance with the help of a crooked lawyer.
For years this hate had literally gotten me out of bed in the morning, and now the Lord, who had forgiven me all my sin, had shown me the toxicity of my own malice and anger. It had to go! Here is the verse I landed on that day when my hate had reached its apex.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up........
I want to take a moment and point you to the first five words of Peter's admonition. The apostle said to " put away all malice.” For the first time since my own conversion to Christ, I saw that I had been forgiven, but I had not forgiven. It was a painful revelation, but it was absolutely staring me right in the face. It was a personal enemy which was sapping my spiritual strength and threatening my growth. Peter's words to "put away" means to excise, cut off, or to permanently remove something. If that isn't clear enough, look at the next word. Put away "all malice.” There is no room to compromise with toxic anger. In fact, malice is is anger on steroids. I call it anger with legs! This is not an emotion the Christian can live with. One of two things will happen if you decide not to deal with it. It will constantly limit you and keep you stunted in your Christian growth, or it will eventually color everything in your life with its toxic complexion. Either one is unacceptable.
Let me encourage you today to examine your heart to see if this noxious emotion exists in you. If it does, do what Peter commands in the verse. Forgive the perpetrator of your pain and get the freedom to keep growing in your walk and enjoying the Word of God! You won't ever regret forgiving once you have done it!
Over the next few days I saw the following verse in I Peter 2. It hit me right between the eyes and forced me to do something that I would have probably never done on my own. What was it? Well, to be honest, it was failure to forgive. I had harbored pure hate and anger in my heart for almost a decade toward my stepmother who orphaned me, my brother, and sister, and had stolen my late father's inheritance with the help of a crooked lawyer.
For years this hate had literally gotten me out of bed in the morning, and now the Lord, who had forgiven me all my sin, had shown me the toxicity of my own malice and anger. It had to go! Here is the verse I landed on that day when my hate had reached its apex.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up........
I want to take a moment and point you to the first five words of Peter's admonition. The apostle said to " put away all malice.” For the first time since my own conversion to Christ, I saw that I had been forgiven, but I had not forgiven. It was a painful revelation, but it was absolutely staring me right in the face. It was a personal enemy which was sapping my spiritual strength and threatening my growth. Peter's words to "put away" means to excise, cut off, or to permanently remove something. If that isn't clear enough, look at the next word. Put away "all malice.” There is no room to compromise with toxic anger. In fact, malice is is anger on steroids. I call it anger with legs! This is not an emotion the Christian can live with. One of two things will happen if you decide not to deal with it. It will constantly limit you and keep you stunted in your Christian growth, or it will eventually color everything in your life with its toxic complexion. Either one is unacceptable.
Let me encourage you today to examine your heart to see if this noxious emotion exists in you. If it does, do what Peter commands in the verse. Forgive the perpetrator of your pain and get the freedom to keep growing in your walk and enjoying the Word of God! You won't ever regret forgiving once you have done it!
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