So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit,
hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave
pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.
1 Peter 2:1-2
I have several friends who have difficulty discarding
unused, unneeded, or useless items in their homes. As a result, every nook and
cranny is filled to the brim. Old clothes jam their closets. Craft items for
projects never accomplished, are held onto for years. Garages and basements are
filled to capacity. Extra storage buildings are erected to hold all the stuff. I
knew a couple ladies, who had so much stuff, that to get through their home was
like an obstacle course of narrow maze paths. They were oblivious to the added
anxiety these things were causing.
My daughter-in-law, on the other hand, is known for her
decluttering methods. She has been hired and utilized by several people, to
help them in this area, including me. Her
philosophy is, “If you don’t use it, lose it!” She also says, “If you haven’t
worn or used it for a year, give it to someone who might really need it.” She
has found that many people have difficulty parting with items. They fail to see
the added stress and work that comes with keeping too many things.
I think sometimes we are like that in our walk with Christ.
We many times, hold onto bad habits, or sinful desires, like trophy tokens. We
just can’t seem to part with them, even though, these things are cluttering our
lives with added weight.
Jesus came into our world, to willingly give His life, so
that we could have all the junk, (sin) in our lives removed. He cleared the
path to have direct communication with God the Father. He picks us up in His
arms and carries us, helping us to rid ourselves of the weight of sin.
He already has us in His arms. We, like children, sometimes
resist these arms of love, by kicking and screaming and throwing our temper
tantrums. He removed all the junk, but sometimes we hold on, even though we have
been released from that bondage. That is
a decision on our part. All we need to do is take the earplugs out, drop our
stuff, and turn our necks to face Him. When we finally turn our faces around,
to look into His eyes, we will see the purest of love. That love will envelop us
to the point that there is less room for things in our lives that are useless,
and not fruitful.
We need to ask, “Who exactly is in control? Who has
whom?” We need to quit holding onto
junk, and let Him do the work in us, to declutter and make us more like Him. By
allowing Him to clean, we are much more usable for His kingdom.
Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you for sending your Son, who
rids us of our sin. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen
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