TAKE IT OFF!

My children tell me that when someone texts in all caps, it means they're screaming the statement. So, here's my best shot:  TAKE IT OFF!  Can you hear me?  I'm screaming...mostly at myself. If you would like to join me in screaming at yourself, go right ahead.  It might be a great idea, and here's why.  

I was quite convicted this morning as I read I Peter 2:1-2.  It says, "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking...."  So, what does that have to do with screaming, “TAKE IT OFF?”  Well, that's what "laying aside" actually means - the "taking off" of things. In this case, the things are well, nasty things.

Picture yourself coming in from a hard day of physical labor.  Your are SO dirty that your spouse takes one look at you, grabs his/her nose in disgust and points towards the shower.  You gingerly remove the filthy garments, trying not to disturb any loose dirt or dust, hopefully keeping the grit and grime on the clothing and not on the floor.  You get cleaned up and are ready to emerge as the new and improved version of yourself.  Your spouse gives you a thumbs-up signal, and you are once again allowed to join your family.  

The next day, though, you begin to miss those clothes.  That shirt was your favorite and those pants...well, they fit so well.  Maybe the dirt magically disappeared overnight.  You return to the bathroom, collect the filth-covered garments and sneak into your room.  Little by little, you slide into the clothes.  Hmm...they don't smell THAT bad (notice the all caps...that should tell you something). They aren't THAT dirty.  So, you ignore the winces and grimaces of your family as you pass and head to work.

That's ridiculous, isn't it?  Who would be crazy enough to put those nasty, dirty, stinking, disgusting clothes back on their nice, clean frame?  Who would do that kind of a thing?!?  

I'll tell you "who."  It's anyone who isn't careful NOT to re-clothe themselves in filth.  

Peter is telling Believers to make sure that they take off those nasty "clothes" of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking, never to put them on again. For clarification, let me give you a little definition of each.  Malice is any ungodly act with the idea in mind that you are trying to get revenge...to cause someone harm.  Deceit is anything that looks like a lie, including "little white lies." There is no such thing. It's a lie. Hypocrisy is pretending you are someone you are not, including a happy-go lucky Christian. Envy is deep-seated desire of something that belongs to someone else. Finally, evil speaking is another word for slander. It's gossip, which is just a prettier word for slander.

Now do you see why Peter is saying these things MUST GO! We must TAKE THEM OFF, if we are to look like the children of God - if we are to be holy, as He is holy. We must take them off, fighting to never pick them up again.

So, when we feel that harsh word about to erupt from our mouths, if we picture ourselves re-clothing ourselves in filth, we might be less likely to allow that word to spew forth. If when we are tempted to want what the Jones' have, we picture the look on our family's faces as we walk around wearing the disgusting clothes, just maybe we'll repent and lay the nasty things down. If when we want others to think we are someone we are not, then, maybe we should take a spiritual whiff of hypocrisy. That should do it.

Thank You, Lord that You are patient with me.  Convict me of the sins of my mouth and the depravity of my heart.  Convict, so that I might repent and take those things off, leaving them for good.