Wednesday, February 6, 2013
By: Gwen Hitt
Throwing Out Old STUFF
Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."
My husband and I are seriously considering downsizing. Once we made the decision to explore our options, we both had mixed emotions but knew that it would be a great opportunity to free ourselves of a lot of STUFF. I can remember waking up at 3:00 in the morning with overwhelming thoughts of what I would do with ALL of the STUFF that we have accumulated over the years!!! Believe me, two adults and three children can acquire lots of things in that amount of time.
My husband's first attempt to start organizing/disposing of things was to clean out the attic. Well, after finding three boxes of our 33-year-old son's trophies, he did a very rationale thing. He called our son to ask if he wanted them. Of course, our son said, "NO!" When I discovered them in the trash, I was absolutely outdone. How could they throw away those cherished mementos of my son's childhood accomplishments???? After speaking to my son, we came to a compromise. I would take a picture of each trophy and make a digital album for him. He convinced me that it was not necessary to keep the actual trophies. He said, "Mom, just throw them in the trash --that time of my life is in my past!"
As I reflected on our first attempt of freeing ourselves of the things that were once important to us, I was reminded that God does not want us to hold on to the OLD things that are still weighing us down--past hurts, failures, decisions, and STUFF. Rather, He wants us to face the future with the assurance of 2 Corinthians 5:17 "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
I challenge you today to identify some of the things that you are holding on to that could be disposed of PERMANENTLY. Just as the ebb of a tide is constantly fluctuating, life is constantly changing. However, always know that God is with you through every change that you face and that He desires for you to trust Him as He moves you to new beginnings!
Dear Lord, I thank You for being my anchor in a world that is ever-changing. As I commit my ways to You, I know You will fulfill Your Word and work everything out for me. Help me to let go of anything in my life that is not pleasing to You.
I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
