My two boys joke that I started eating gluten free before it became a fad. For me, the shift in my diet wasn’t an attempt to adopt the latest health craze– it was an unwelcome change brought on by a minor health crisis. Apparently, an intolerance to gluten had been building in my body for a while and one day the scales just tipped to the other side. Suddenly my rib cage felt like it was in a constant vice grip and I couldn’t swallow solid food without significant pain and effort. After months of seeing doctors, undergoing various medical tests, and trying a multitude of medications, I finally discovered that gluten was the culprit. This was not happy news for a bread-loving family like mine. And as I researched more about how to implement a gluten free diet, my spirits plummeted. Because the gluten free craze hadn’t begun yet, I had to scrutinize every label, recipe and ingredient to determine if it was safe for me to eat.
As much as I struggled with adapting to a new diet, I struggled more with the emotional toll it took on me. Suddenly every meal and social event was riddled with concern about what I could and couldn’t eat. I consider myself a “low maintenance” person and my new diet made me feel way too “high maintenance.” However, the difference in how I felt physically was worth it. Each time I was offered something I knew contained gluten, I refused it because I knew how horrible it would make me feel.
Never did I think that my gluten free diet would have a biblical application until I read First Peter 2:
“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 into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1-2, ESV)
Just as I had to “put away” the foods that made me feel sick, Peter admonishes believers to “put away” thoughts and behaviors that will keep us from maturing spiritually. In doing this, he uses the example of a newborn baby needing pure milk to grow. This is a great extension of the idea of being born again that Jesus describes in John 3:3.
When we accept Christ, we begin a new life of faith. And just like when we were physically born the first time, we grow and mature slowly over time. The challenge with this second birth, however, is that we’ve already been exposed to a steady diet of things other than “pure spiritual milk.” Whether we were raised in the church or come to faith later, all of us have been exposed to worldly ways of thinking that impact us spiritually.
So just like I had to change my eating habits when I realized I was gluten-intolerant, we need to change our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors when we want to pursue God wholeheartedly. Because the Holy Spirit lives inside us, some of the attitudes and behaviors we’ve embraced from the world aren’t compatible with a life of faith. If we continue to give ourselves over to malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander, we will stunt our spiritual growth because what we feed our minds affects our souls.
Malice is evil intent or the desire to inflict harm, injury or suffering on another. While most of us don’t consider ourselves malicious, there are times we’ve quietly reveled in someone else’s misfortune. Granted, it’s usually a person that has hurt us or someone we love, so we feel justified thinking they “got what they deserved.” Embarrassing as it is to admit, this is malicious and not part of a godly thought life.
Deceit is concealment or distortion of truth. Do you ever feel tempted to avoid certain details to gain an advantage? Or maybe you exaggerate an issue for attention? It might seem harmless, but if it’s distorting the truth, it’s still deceit. Stop and think what you’re trying to gain through deceit. Is it worth it, even knowing it’s stunting your spiritual growth?
Hypocrisy is the pretense of being virtuous or moral. Hypocrites say the right things, but their actions tell the true story about what they believe. They love the idea of living for God, but don’t tend to follow through when faced with opposition or potential rejection. We’re all guilty of it at times. The best defense is to pray for authenticity and integrity so that we can honor God no matter where we are or who we’re with.
Envy is a feeling of discontent regarding another person’s advantages, successes, or possessions. Facebook and other social media sites are prime territory for breeding envy. One of the best antidotes is to learn to celebrate the positive things happening to others instead of comparing ourselves and feeling threatened by them. Figure out what your “envy triggers” are and pray about them. Tell God about that thing another person has that you want so badly. Invite Him to replace your envy with gratefulness and contentment.
Slander is described in the New Living translation as “unkind speech.” Whether we are talking about people we know personally or those in the public eye, it’s important to be aware of what we’re saying about them. Also, we need to keep in mind how we’re being influenced by radio and TV talk shows, podcasts, articles we read in print or online and even chain e-mails that get forwarded to us. Outside influences often feed our tendency to speak unkindly about others
With the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to recognize when we’re falling into old behaviors and attitudes that don’t fit with our new lives in Christ. As we start craving a “diet” that is pure, we won’t be as apt to fall into old ways of functioning. Just like I can feel the negative effects of gluten when I eat it mistakenly, I can feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when I slip back into thoughts, words and actions that don’t honor God. Once we’ve tasted His goodness, nothing else satisfies in quite the same way.
Want some encouragement about how to overcome these things in your life? Listen to “The Cure” by Unspoken:
Inspired by Week 4 in 1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway Press, 2016.