Clean House!

Clean House!

So clean house!

Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense,

envy and hurtful talk.

1 Peter 2:1 [The Message] 

Malice – an emotion that Webster defines as “…the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm.”  Synonyms: cattiness, hatefulness, hostility, maliciousness, meanness, spite, 

Pretense – the quality or state of trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case.  Synonyms: Affectation, arrogance, grandiosity, self-conceit

Envy – resentment of another’s possessions or advantages.  Synonyms: animosity, covetousness, enmity, ill will, jealousy, malice, resentment

Hurtful Talk (Gossip/slander) – to make untrue or harmful statements that damage another's reputation.  Synonyms:  circulate, defame, malign, insinuate, smear, snitch, tattle, vilify

When Peter called for a clean sweep of the attitudes and actions listed above, he was not speaking from a vacuum, but from experience.  He was not standing as judge and jury, but as a fellow sojourner who had to deal with these issues in his own life.  Kindness and humility are listed as antonyms for the above attitudes.  Peter did not come to Christ either humble or kind; sometimes we are neither, as well.  God’s unconditional love, however, can act as a cleansing broom to sweep our houses clean, transforming our lives.

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At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,

Every tongue confess Him King of glory now.

‘Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,

Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

 

In your hearts enthrone Him, there let Him subdue

All that is not holy, all that is not true.

Crown Him as your captain in temptation’s hour.

Let His will enfold you in its light and power.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 168