Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 1 Peter 2:1 (NIV)
The idea of an “office cleanup day” is that everyone sets aside one day to get their workspace cleaned up. Desks get cleaned off. Piles are removed. Files get cleared out. Everything that’s no longer needed is gotten rid of.
People look forward to this. Sometimes music plays in the hallways. And dumpsters get filled up with trash. If you’ve ever done this, you know that it is a day of great joy. Why? Because people have a job to do and it feels good to get rid of all the clutter that holds them back.
That’s the same picture Peter is using here. Get rid of the clutter. If you see deceit, deception, hypocrisy, malice, or slander, take it out. Get rid of it. Put it in the dumpster. Because God has given you a job to do and this clutter is holding you back.
God consistently speaks to the Christian in the New Testament as someone who has power: “Be self-controlled. Do not conform to evil desires. Get rid of malice.” He has given you power to act. God’s Spirit lives in you, so take action against the sin in your life. Rid yourself of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Don’t wait for God to do it! Get to work.
God speaks to you, Christian, as someone who has power. But are you living like someone who has power?
