Morning Musings-Dangerous Duo

Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...






The Dangerous Duo, malice and slander (of every kind) are to be gotten rid of, pronto!  This we discover in 1 Peter 2:1-3.

If you look up the definition of malice you'll find it means "desire to do harm or mischief; evil intent; the state of mind with which an act is committed and from which intent to do wrong my be inflicted".  The New Collins International Dictionary goes on to explain that slander is "defaming someone by talking bad about them or using gestures" that put the other person(s) down.

So you see 'malice' is developed in the mind and thoughts, while 'slander' is activated in words and actions to make a person look bad, to ruin the reputation and as gossip.  The former is in the thoughts, the latter in the actions.  The actions spring out of the thoughts.

Do you recall what James said in chapter 1:14, 15?  "Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin...to death."  That is a downward spiral.  Malice is not yet action but if allowed to develop it will give birth to slander and more.  

Peter commands in 2:1 of our portion this morning "rid yourselves of all...of every kind"!  This is part of the "purifying process" we talked about yesterday in Living & Enduring Word of God.  This is a way to show sincere love to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and becoming more holy as God is holy and to speak good, kind and encouraging words.

I know, this is NOT easy but use God's limitless supply of grace to eat humble pie and bite your tongue.  (Again we learned from James that the tongue is untamed but we are to make every effort to rein it in with self-control gotten through allowing the Holy Spirit to aid us.  We have absolutely NO EXCUSE! to NOT nip it in the bud.)  Stop yourself, with His help, from spewing slander.

But even before that, is to stop your even thinking malice; stop the malice in your mind and thoughts--nip it there and then the slander won't be so forthcoming.  "Get rid of it". 

Normally people think its the women who gossip and spread slander but contemplate 3 John 9, 10.  There was a brother named Diotrophes "who loved to be first".  I ask you, "Whatever happened to: 'Jesus first, others next, yourself last?'"  Well, out of Diotrophes' love for self he wanted to make others look exceedingly bad and so he was "gossiping maliciously," among other things.  Did you take note about whom he was "gossiping maliciously"?  John says, "about us" which refers to John and quite possibly the other apostles!  Image the effrontery of that!!  This man was wreaking havoc, division and brought a spirit of fear among God's people that wasn't a fear of God!

By wonderful contrast to Diotrophes, have a look at King David who had become a man of integrity.  He pleaded with God in Psalm 139:23...

Very open before God.  To search the heart and that was not enough for David, as in another version (NIV) it says, "and know my anxious thoughts".  Yes, it is talking about anxiety in the verse but David still made himself vulnerable to God and was willing to open both his heart and mind to God's search.  If you are having difficulties with ridding yourself of malice and slander, deceit, hypocrisy and envy (vs1); submit to God, resist the devil (these are more commands), and get on your knees and beseech God as David did.  God hears our cry and when we have a willing heart God knows it and honors it as He did for David.

How else can you help yourself in this?  "Crave pure spiritual milk" from God and His Word.  You will note that God often says, "put off...put on...," or in this case, "rid yourselves of all..."  Put off and rid yourselves of all the malice and slander and so on and get the pure spiritual milk of God's Word.

Read, read, read God's Word.  Meditate, meditate, meditate upon it.  Get God's Word into your mind so it can gravitate to your heart so it will control your actions through the Holy Spirit's assistance.  It's as simple as that.  Yet, knowing and doing are two different things.  Choose and decide what you will think about in your mind.

There is a verse that comes to mind from Philippians 4:8, 9...

There is some of the verse missing here as God's Word goes on, after asking you to "think on these things", for you to "put it into practice".  Why think on them?  So they go from your thoughts to your action that help build up the family of God and show sincere love for your brothers and sisters in Christ.  The verses say "think on them, and put them into practice".  Sons, if you're going to be the spiritual leaders of your family and among the family of God, you've got to start this now.  Honor God and He'll honor you.

The outcome is "growth in your salvation (faith) and you'll "taste that the Lord is good" (vs 2, 3).  What a reward from our merciful God!

Out of gratitude of the heart for what God has done and is doing for us, let us live to please the Lord in these ways.  Shoot down the Dangerous Duo by girding yourself with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18); prayer; submission to Him; resisting the devil; and with pure and noble thoughts triggered into vigilant action by sincere love for God and the brethren.   May God be merciful to us all as we live to please Him with our lives.

                                                                   ~ERC  2016~