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Get rid of your stuff… end of class. Go get rid of everything you have that you don’t need and only keep what you need to. After that very little organization is needed because there won’t be much to organize. No need to buy pretty boxes, bags, or closet systems. No need to rent a storage unit or to even have a large house. No more stress because of all the clutter and piles lying around the house. No more weekends spent dusting, cleaning out the garage or polishing your toys. Without all your stuff you will have time to spare!
As I give out this advice I sit in my office surrounded by lots of stuff I could easily live without. This room is surrounded by other rooms full of items I could live without, the garage is full too. I’ve never been one to hold on to too much but I still find myself spending time on my possessions. I spend time buying, sorting, moving, arranging, and cleaning my stuff. I spend time working for money to buy more stuff to waste my time on. What an insane cycle to live in. I am realizing that more stuff = more stress. The Bible confirms this, in 1 Timothy 6:10 it says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (Emphasis mine) Loving money (or what money can buy) is the root, or beginning, of all kinds of evils (covetousness, pride, greed). This craving for more leads us to pierce ourselves with many pangs. This desire for stuff truly hurts us! Also notice the strong pull materialism can have on a person; it even causes some to wander away from the faith. It is very hard to resist, but that is exactly what we are called to do. In 1 John 2:15 it says “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” This verse tells us not to love “the things in the world”. Do you love your possessions? Do you love your pretty bedspread, do you love your 401k, do you love your new shoes, do you love your nice green lawn, do you love your jewelry? If we love our possessions which are part of the world this shows a huge heart issue. I don’t mean that if you have a nice pair of shoes or some jewelry that your heart is in the wrong place, but it could be. If you find yourself striving after items like this or finding ways to accumulate more items to treasure, you need to do a serious heart check…and fast. A heart aligned with the world is a heart against God, literally an enemy of God. This may seem harsh, but these are not just my words. Check out James 4:4, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Like I said this is serious. We want our hearts to be aligned with God not the world. What we treasure and hold dear displays what is in our hearts. What is your heart clinging to? Mothers, be an example for your children. Teach them at a young age to hold on very lightly to the things of this world. Teach them how to be givers and to bless others instead. Instruct them on the difference between what is eternal (God’s Kingdom, God’s Word, Christian relationships, work done for Christ, time spent with God) and what is truly dust (everything tangible). They are watching you closely so be aware of what you are spending your time on too. Is shopping a hobby? Do you often admire and value objects? Are you being generous in blessing others? What are your reasons for working? What are the future aspirations of your family? Are you planning for a vacation, a hot tub, or an awesome way to bless others for God’s Kingdom? The only proper place to store your treasures is Heaven. Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Ladies, it’s time we cut our tethers to this world. We need to keep our eyes focused on eternity and not the dust all around us. Our current surroundings are so very temporary; don’t get distracted by the pull of fake joy found in objects. Release yourself to fully experience the true freedom only found in Christ.
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Okay, so if you haven’t heard, I recently enlisted in a Couch to 5K (C25K) program in preparation of running my first 5K event ever at the Anamosa Pumpkinfest. In order to share in this pleasure I also signed up my oldest son, Wyatt, to run with me. Wyatt and I are not in the best shape and in fact we lean quite heavily toward the couch side of this equation (pun intended). We are well aware of our physical shortcoming so we thought this program would be a good place to start.
The very first night of our training came and I admit we were slightly nervous. One consolation was that we figured there had to be a few people in the group who were similar to us (i.e. heavy and slow). We arrived and started to make our way to the group gathered next to the track. Right away we knew we were in trouble. The majority was slim and looked quite fit. One woman gave us hope by her appearance but she soon revealed that she was a former track coach. One guy was doing stretches I had never seen before. Despite our initial evaluation, Wyatt and I walked bravely up to the group and introduced ourselves; everyone was very nice. In the back of my head I thought, “Once again my purpose here may be to make others feel better about themselves.” Once the running began it was soon apparent that sometimes you can judge books by their covers. Wyatt and I quickly fell to the back of the pack, trudging along at the speed we could manage. It wasn’t too long before we decided that this was perfectly okay, now the others will be impressed with any improvement they see in us, including showing up next week. We could do nothing but laugh between gasping for breath as some of the runners lapped us. The super stretchy guy we cleverly nick named “Mr. Speedy” since he ran past us so fast we could feel a breeze. Later he would become known as “Ol’ Three-Lapper”, I think you can guess why. Now, while it is fun to laugh at the situation above, I want to talk about another type of race that should be taken very seriously. It says in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” We need to be training ourselves spiritually in godliness. This not only has value for today but for eternity as the verse states. Did you get that? For ETERNITY. The writer of Hebrews even compared the life of faith to a race: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 Picture your spiritual journey as a race. Not a race against each other, but a race toward Christ likeness. As the verse above states we are to keep our eyes trained on Jesus as the “founder” (or originator) of our faith. He calls us to faith in him, like he’s picking us for his team. Jesus is also the “perfecter” (or refiner) of our faith through sanctification, so he is also our trainer. We aren’t told to stroll along hoping to pick up some wisdom here and there as life and time allows. We are called to run, and run “with endurance”! So run, girl, run! Work hard at becoming more like Jesus. There is also wise training advice contained in these awesome verses. We are told to get rid of dead weight, “…lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…” Ever try to run a race while carrying large bags of trash? No, that would be stupid, so is carrying sins while we try to be more like Jesus. So lay aside anything that even potentially hinders your spiritual growth. Take the time to really think about this one please. While you are running you will gain strength and encouragement from God’s Word, since it is your sustenance (Matthew 4:4). Jesus will be ever near with his commandment of “Go” (Matthew 28:19). Paul also spoke of this race in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” This verse even promises a prize for running the race well, a “crown of righteousness”. This does sound like an exciting prize, but far greater than that will be praise from our Savior when we get to the finish line (Matthew 25:21). Wyatt and I will have ups and downs as we train and many more laughs along the way (especially since I told him we have to dress up like big pumpkins). But our true race is one towards Christ and that race is the only one that really matters. So, Ladies, its time; lace up your running shoes and step out on the track. Set your eyes on Jesus and run, girl, run! Ladies, as I grow older (and wiser, I hope) I realize how much we have in common with each other. Oh, we like to think our lives are vastly different than that of those around us. But let’s face it, I bet each of us did at least a few of the following already today: groaned when the alarm went off, flinched when you looked in the mirror, rolled your eyes when you saw your husband’s dirty socks on the floor next to the hamper, washed dishes and laundry, reminded the kids to brush their teeth, told your kids to wipe the toothpaste off the sink and walls, made a to do list and a shopping list, thought of a dozen areas of your house and life that need better organization, told your fighting children to knock it off, wished you had listened to your husband and stopped at two children, okay you get the point. I think you can agree we have a lot in common.
One other item every single one of us has in common is sin, we all struggle with it. It may take on different shapes in each of our lives, but it is still there. It could be in the form of envy, lust, gluttony, dishonesty, idolatry or any other type. Often it is not visible for others to see; sin loves the darkness and hates the light. We keep it hidden due to shame and a sense of self-righteousness. We don’t want others to know about it; we don’t want to be judged by anyone! We would rather keep on letting others think that everything is great and that our lives are sparkly clean, or at least as clean as our friends’ lives are. The Bible puts it this way: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21 I used to be very touchy when asked about sin in my life for all the reasons above. However today, if you sat down with me and asked me about my sins, I can readily admit to the ugliness that is in my life. I can promise you it wouldn’t be pretty, especially if I confessed all the thoughts that run through my head in 24 hours. You may have to finally ask me to stop talking. Why is this? When you get to know Christ more deeply and recognize how holy he is, the sin in your life becomes much more apparent. You begin to see the darkness much easier and you hate it. Those I worry about are the ones who have a hard time recognizing sin in their lives and often rationalize it as being a “normal” part of the American life. My primary concern is that their view of God as Lord is less than it should be and that their value of his holiness is diminished. If I sat down with you today and asked you about your sin, what would you have to say to me? Would you confess it and ask for prayer or try to make excuses as to why you do what you do? Do you hate your sin or is it something you are fairly comfortable with? Can you recognize it easily? These are serious questions each of us should be asking ourselves. God hates sin and God is 100% without sin. We can only be in his presence if we are also without sin, completely without a single blemish. This means only those who are perfectly righteous can go to Heaven and live there for eternity with God, everyone else is sent to Hell. Whoa, wait a minute…I said above that all of us have sin in our lives so is there no hope? “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25) God has given us a way through the one who lived on Earth and was (and is) completely perfect and without sin; Jesus Christ. He took our sin upon himself and bore the wrath of his Father as he died on that cross for those who will receive the gift of life he offers. For those who accept Christ, our sin was killed on that cross over 2,000 years ago…all of it. Perfectly righteous and holy Jesus stands in our place when we are before God and allows us to enter into his glorious home of Heaven. What a gift it is and how anyone can reject it is beyond me. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 We need to hate sin as much as God does. We need to bring it out of darkness and expose it to light so it can die. Don’t go easy on yourself and explain it away or try to justify it. There won’t be others around you to make you look better on judgment day, only you before God. Unless you accept Jesus as the savior of your soul and make him Lord over your life. If you do, he will be right there, saying, “I died for this one and took away all her sins, she belongs with me.” Ladies, have you ever wished you had a big “reset” button? I sure do. Days where I could start everything all over again just by pushing that big button. I would jump back in bed, fall asleep and wake up to begin the same day over. Only this time, do things differently. Sometimes this happens when I haven’t prepared enough for the busy day ahead - I push the snooze button one too many times, I realize I haven’t washed my work uniforms, I’m finally ready to leave and the gas tank is empty. Other times, despite my best efforts, nothing seems to go right - my hair looks funny, the dog pukes on the carpet, one of the kids spills their bowl of cereal, I get assigned an extra project at work.
To be honest with you, the times I usually wish to restart the day is when I have not used my time wisely. It’s the days I get lazy and don’t get done what I know I should have. Oh, I may have stayed “busy” on those days but I neglected the truly important things. I didn’t spend time with God like I should have, I didn’t demonstrate Christ to my children or spouse, or I didn’t reach out to help or encourage someone else. Those are the most frustrating days for me. I always seem to realize it when the day is coming to a close. As I plop into bed I feel an uneasiness that I know is from the Holy Spirit. Pains from a day wasted on business again. What an uncomfortable feeling. I can only compare it to when I was a child and the feeling I got when I knew I disappointed my parents. Yuck. Do-over please! I know many of you reading this are thinking I need to get a grip. Maybe you think, “I read the Bible enough and I go to church; I am a nice person and I can’t be expected to reach out to someone every day. I just need to give myself a break!” Umm… no. What God has called me to, I should not run from or neglect. I can’t just busy myself with other things to keep from doing my real work. That’s just Satan’s way of knocking me off course, he likes me off task. So I should hate it. I relate so well to Paul in Romans 7:15, 17-19 when he says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” I know what I should be spending my time on throughout my day, but instead I find myself staying occupied with other “important” tasks. I spend my energy on Earthly matters instead of Eternal matter. What a fool; what an easy target for the Enemy I allow myself to be! Paul expresses this perfectly in verse 24 when he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Fortunately Paul goes right on to give the answer to his own question in verse 25. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus is the answer! More specifically what Jesus has done for us in his act of salvation is where we find our power. He died in our place so that we would not have to be a slave to sin any longer. This means that I can stop playing the fool in my daily life. I need to remember Jesus and that he has already beat sin for me. I can stop being a slave to whatever business the Devil dangles before me and begin to see my daily life as having eternal significance. This I can do only through the grace of Jesus and through his power. I have failed to use my days wisely so many times and continue to do so, but I find so much encouragement in 2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful.” Despite our failures at being faithful to God’s calling in our lives, that does not change the goodness of God. He will always remain faithful to us. He will always restore us back to himself. So with the power granted to you through Jesus Christ get off the computer and pick up your Bible. Go encourage yourself, your family or a friend with the Word of God right now! Don’t waste another minute of this day! |
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