Desire the sincere milk of the Word.....

        As Christians, when we get to the point where everything someone does or says offends us, we become less effective in the work of Christ. Our goal as Christians is not to find what wrong with everyone and everything and fix it.

        It is to shine the light of Christ, share the truth of God's Word, and let God do the work in their hearts and lives. We don't need to get wrapped up in the drama of the world, but keep our eyes on Jesus and be a witness. When we allow ourselves to get offended so easily, it shows our need for more spiritual growth.

       I Peter 2:1-3 says, Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ² As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ³ If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Let's break these verses down a little and try to understand them a little more.

laying aside - to put away, cast off, lay apart

Malice - ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, evil, naughtiness, trouble

guile - craft, deceit, trick, wile, entice, entrap

hypocrisies - acting under a feigned (insincere) part, condemnation, dissimulation (concealment of one's thoughts, feelings, or character; it's a form of deception in which one conceals the truth, telling half truths)

envies - envy, jealousy

evil speakings - backbiting, defamation (the communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual person)

So verse one is telling us that as Christians these things should not be in our lives.  We should lay them aside, cast them off.  We shouldn't be wishing ill-will on someone, enticing them to do evil, being deceitful whether totally or telling half truths.  We shouldn't be envious or jealous and backbite or gossip about others.  These are things that are not Christ-like and we are told to be like Christ. 

Now verse two:

As new born babes desire (intensely crave, earnestly desire, greatly long for) the sincere (unmixed, unadulterated, pure, guileless, undeceitful) milk (truth of God's Word) of the Word that ye may grow (grow up, increase, become greater)  thereby.

The Bible tells us that in order to grow, we MUST lay aside those things that hinder us, and desire God's truth for our lives. 

No one likes to see or hear the truth about themselves, not even myself.  However, how many of us who are parents have to sit down and have a heart to heart with our children every now and then?  Sure we do!  God is having a heart to heart with us in those verses.  He's saying, "Listen children, you need to grow up!  The only way it's going to happen is to lay aside these things that hinder you and allow me to work through my Word."

Are you ready for the new year?  Are you ready to allow God to change your heart through His Word?  Will you let Him?