BE DONE WITH IT

by Tammy Phillips
February 27, 2023

“Be done with every trace of wickedness (depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity (pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander andevil speaking of every kind.” (1 Peter 2:2) 

God has such a sense of humor. 

Last Saturday, I awoke just past midnight,  I watched two episodes of The Chosen, streaming series. One show took the liberty to show Jesus’ disciple, Peter bent-out-of-shape over a loss he had experienced.  My thoughts were: “Really, Peter after all you have seen and been through with Jesus. You physically got to see him, talk with him and walk with him daily.”  Those before-dawn, judgmental thoughts would come back to bite me.

I do not see Jesus with my eyes, but I am blessed to walk and talk with him daily.  I get to see him at work accomplishing his words and works every day.  Yet, later in the day that I had  so easily judged the Peter’s character, I got bent out of shape and knocked out of alignment. I did not walk nor talk like the woman God has called me to be. 

For an unexplained reason, after I watched The Chosen  episodes, I fell back asleep and woke up a little later, unexplainably, extremely agitated. My  husband asked me what was wrong, I said, “Nothing,” multiple times.  I had no idea what was wrong with me. 

I allowed this attitude to last throughout the whole day.  We went to an event, a basketball game and to dinner with friends.  I was ill like I had not been in a very long time.  I went to the event and sat at the farthest table away  in order to isolate myself from the hundred plus people. It did not work.  I was soon joined by friends, one who is really named “Grace Lord.”  The “Lord” literally showed up and I was still mean, snappy, unsocial, and ill like Peter had been.  And I was going with it.  Another friend told me to snap out of it. My flesh rose up and I did nothing to resist.  The day before had been a great day!  I had been shopping , resisted the urge to buy, and had conquered the flesh by saying, “No. No. No.” I could not even blame this attitude  on the devil.  This was all ugly me not abstaining and refraining.   

I said things I should not have.  I made faces I should not have.  I acted like I should not have.  I was not kind.  My canvas was not reflecting the glory of the Lord who lives in me. I joked and laughed about my attitude,  but it was not funny!

Sunday morning, I wrote in my journal, “What is my internal struggle?”  I wondered what Saturday had been about.   It did not take Holy Spirit long to answer my question, begin my gently whooping and needed correction.

I heard in my spirit, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.”  Although I knew  was from Ephesians 6, I did a word search for “flesh” on my Bible ap.  I was led to  and through 1 Peter, Peter of all the books in the Bible.  I had judged Peter’s action and now the Lord was going to use his words to set me straight.  God and His humor.  He and Peter would have the last laugh.   Here is just part of what I was reminded:

You [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1Pe 2:9 NKJV)

I heard…YOU ARE CHOSEN, just like Peter.  You are a royal; act like it.  You are holy; act like it.  You are His own; act like it. You have been called and you have a job “to proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  

AND! 

Beloved, I beg [you] as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable (1Pe 2:11-12 NKJV)

I heard, “You are still loved.  Be-Loved!   As you are walking through life ABSTAIN and REFRAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL.  Hold back, keep off, separate, be distant  from fleshly lusts.  They war against the soul!   Be honorable in your conduct.”   What does it mean to be honorable in conduct?  It means to be good, excellent , beautiful, pleasant, delightful,  genuine, approved, be as you ought to be in your conversation, behavior, and walk.  (“Ouch, that stung.”) If that was not enough…

I Peter 2:1 instructs us to “be done with every trace of wickedness (bad nature, depravity, malignity) and all deceits, tricks,  and insincerity (pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander and back biting and  evil speaking of every kind.”

I heard, “BE DONE WITH IT,  every trace of  wickedness, bad, thinking, feeling, acting, and speaking. Be done with pretending and jealously.  Be done with evil speaking of ALL KIND!  BE DONE WITH IT!  Ouch!

Peter continued with my whooping  in verse 2, “desire the pure milk of the word, so that you MAY GROW UP INTO YOUR SALVATION, if in fact we have tasted of the Grace of the Lord.  (I had Grace Lord sitting right in front of me and I still didn’t change my ugliness.)

As I continued to read through 1 Peter I heard:

1. It is God’s will for you to do good. It will silence the ignorant. (1Pe 2:15)
2. Christ left you an example, follow in his steps. (1Pe 2:21)
3. He did not commit sin, and no lie or ugly was found in his mouth. (1Pe 2:22)
4. Christ was insulted, he did not insult in return. He suffered, he did not threaten (1Pe 2:23 CSB)
5. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1Pe 2:24 CSB)

We are called to live the right way. 

I enCOURAGE you to be done with it!  Abstain and refrain from all ugly!  Be done with the evil speaking and acting. Follow Christs example.  Say what Father God says and do what He does.  Follow Jesus’ examples.  Live the right way.  Be good. The struggle is real, but God is greater than the struggle and greater is God inside us than anything and anyone in the world.

Viva Magenta:  Live. Breathe. Be…DONE WITH IT! 

P.S. I learned to “be done with it,” but Peter was done with me.  I’ll be back tomorrow with his final words that really shook me, as if all this was not enough.