Learning to Believe

7.23.2011

1 Peter 2:2-3 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.

1 Peter 2:23 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. NIV

It occurs to me that growing up in our salvation means just that: growing up. When Peter made the comment: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. (1 Peter 2:1) it sounds to me like he meant just that: take responsibility for yourself and your testimony and get rid of all the things that give people cause to criticize you; he may have meant: quit being selfishly malicious, deceitful, hypocritical, envious and slanderous yourself so that others can see your maturity and the validity of your faith.
And so it occurs to me that by craving pure spiritual milk we are so nourished that the battle for the emotions is won by being cleansed, taught, encouraged, and admonished by the Word of God so that we can in turn entrust ourselves to Him who judges justly. Whining and griping, complaining and being selfish is a huge turn off to people who hear us talking about the Lord and then acting like spoiled babies. At least when they act that way, they aren’t held accountable to a higher standard – they simply live in the world of kill or be killed.

Today, these words are yet another reminder for me to take seriously my walk with the Lord, and my testimony before men. My walk with the Lord is to be free from pettiness, anger, fits of rage (as Paul says in Galatians 5), selfishness and self-centeredness. The presence of these things bear testimony that the power to entrust myself to God in tough times is either missing or powerless. And if I cannot shine in moments of light difficulty how will I ever endure in moments of great stress, tribulation, and trouble?

Life is a process of learning to believe that what the Scripture calls me to is valid and necessary. There are actions I must take all on my own and I must rid myself of all that is in me that makes Jesus look bad or weak or absent. That’s a huge order, but it is biblical. I can only do that by submitting myself to Him and allowing Him to point out everything that is within me that refuses to obey His every word. Our ancient friend Peter had to learn it the hard way – who am I to think that I won’t have to learn it that way also?