Today my daughter and son-in-law moved into a different apartment. My husband and I went over – my husband to help lift and carry things – me to offer moral support while the guys were lifting and carrying. Moving is hard – it’s exhausting – both physically and emotionally. It means something is over – and you leave a part of you behind. And you move on.
I never want to move again after all the times I’ve moved – let’s see – 7 times before I was married and 18 times since being married – a total of 6 different states. Yes I know – it’s unbelievable – but it’s true. And yet – we’ve managed to live now in the same house for 7 years – the longest we’ve lived in one house – ever. But moving often forces you to throw things away – often. So that can be good.
But moving is not fun – you discover just how much trash you have been collecting – and instead of being a reasonable person and throwing things away – you find you’ve been hoarding it. It becomes perfectly clear when you move – because to be honest – you just don’t want to spend the energy moving it again if you don’t have to – so you find out what’s important to save and what is trash.
Our lives can be like this too. We store ‘trash’ because either we think we will need it some day – or we’re too lazy to throw it out – or – we are simply unaware that it’s there. And to make a clean sweep of our lives is painful – both physically and emotionally. But trash can build up – tripping us up – clouding our judgment – basically getting in the way of good intentions and robbing us of clear thinking. Sometimes ‘trash’ is tangible and easy to identify – like that food we should not be eating – or that show on TV we should not be watching – but sometimes it is not tangible – but vague and ‘grey’. People that are not healthy for us – or people who are negative and critical – those who don’t understand us – those that do not want to. This can deplete us and handicap us – and bog us down in such a way – little by little – over time – seeping into our emotions – tearing us apart – one bad thought after another – building up in our minds and hearts – until we are sad and depressed and we don’t even know what happened – or how it started.
I know. I’ve been there. I’ve walked it. I’ve survived it. The small thinking and judgment of others speaking things into my life when I messed up – whom I gave no permission to. Causing me to second guess myself and my good intentions – until I didn’t know who I was anymore – until it was those words that defined me and owned me and I almost believed what was said to me must be true. But it wasn’t. And it never was. Those words – those thoughts – all the emotions that came from others trying to own me – It’s called trash. And like all trash – it can be messy and stinky – and you have no choice after a while but to deal with it. And throw it out. For good.
I want to challenge you today – make a clean sweep today. Get right with God – if you haven’t done that. Then rid yourself of the negative people and thoughts in your life – the extra things that bog you down. And because God is the only one that can judge your heart and motives – and the things you do – you need to be okay with that and stop caring what others say or think about you. In the end – it will only be you and God. Get rid of some of the trash in your ‘house’ today – both physically and emotionally. You may need to say goodbye to some things and people in your life that won’t be easy – in fact – it will hurt like crazy – for a while – then it will get better. Go on a journey in your mind and heart of ‘moving on’ and take only the most important things with you – dump the rest – and then – leave it there. You’ll be glad that you did. I promise.
God Bless
Cindy Holman 
Comments on: "Trash" (8)
Throw out the trash and move on. I wish I could do that more easily. We have a storage unit full of “stuff” – mostly my library books. I think we don’t let go of things or people – even if they are not good for us – because of our own insecurities. We like to enable our own addictions or abusive relationships. How twisted is that? Something is certainly rotten at the core. It is not until I understand my worth in God’s eyes without those things or people am I strong enough to let them go. I don’t need them any longer to affirm me or validate me. They do not assert or speak to my self-worth. By not throwing out the things that hold us down or demoralize us, we are allowing ourselves to be robbed every day. We are mugged by our own feelings of inadequacies and shame. Lord, set us free!
I love this. Thanks Ron – it’s great to have someone really understand it – and get right to the core of the problem. It IS our own insecurities that fuel our addiction to abusive relationships – I never thought about it in that way before. “Rotten at the core” is an understatement. Thanks for sharing and really ‘getting it’. You are a special friend.
People can be influenced by others too much. This influence starts with our parents, family, friends, and peers.
I have found that even though I was not influenced by peer pressure much when I was growing up, I became much more concerned about others attitudes the older I got. I find this strange, but a reality. Sometimes others give opinions that we never even asked for—especially when we have an important decision to make in life. And, if we just trust them without really taking their advice before the Lord–as well as doing research in order to come to a firm decision on our own (no matter how good their advice sounds), the results could be devastating. Yes, the Lord works out all things for the good, but it is important to make the best decisions possible by using wisdom from the Lord. People love to state their opinions, but we ultimately have to live with the consequences of our decisions–good or bad. It gets even more complex when there are many people who try and speak into our lives the wrong advice (even though it may sound good on the surface). And, if it’s an attorney or some other professional it could end up being very emotional and cloud our thinking. Psalm 1 speaks about “not walking in the counsel of the ungodly………….but delighting and meditating on the law of the Lord”. The focus of this passage is on the Lord and not even asking people’s advice. We must first seek the Lord, do the research into the scriptures and other technical areas of the issue, then follow it up with the godly counsel, and then with the Lord again in order to come to a final decision. This way whatever our decision is we can know that the Lord is leading us, regardless of the outcome—he has an ultimate plan for our future.
The only way to get through these types of issues is with the Lord, knowing what the Bible has to say, and letting those speak who are willing to speak kind words into our hearts–as the scriptures talk in Proverbs 25:11 (NIV): “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Saying the right words at the right time can literally change the course of a person’s life towards the right direction.
Today’s society, along with the Internet can make people be even more concerned about what others think. It is really interesting that anyone can say anything about anybody on a blog, for example. It can even be permanent for the rest of a person’s life–whether it’s true, half true, or not true at all. One of the most interesting things about today’s society is that this whole “judge not that you be not judged” issue can be changed into “judge first so that people can’t have much to say back”–and all of this could be looked up in a Google search. It used to mainly be the politicians or celebrities who had to answer questions about issues that may have happened so long ago, for example. Today, anyone can feel like they need to explain their life to another if one can find out about it on the Internet.
When you add in cell phone cameras, cell phone video recorders, etc. it really takes away a lot of our privacy when we are just out in society. There are so many intersections and roads that have cameras mounted everywhere. A good majority of stores, restaurants, and other businesses have video cameras installed. It seems that our society is all about trying to document every word and action that a person does. A major issue that can develop is that people can misinterpret events. It can make it difficult to develop relationships since one can be concerned about making one mistake and then end up having it broadcasted on the Internet for the world to see.
Stop! This is over the top, you might say. But, this is also reality. The question is to figure out ways to deal with our digital age. Do we just stay in our homes hiding behind our computers and only saying what we have so carefully scripted and crafted for the Internet, or do we get out and risk meeting people? WWJD if he was living on the earth in today’s society? I believe he would take the risk to develop relationships, since eternity is on the line.
I think that one of the downsides to this digital age is that the enemy can use it to try and get people to keep to themselves and not even do that much witnessing anymore. While social networking sites are great, I still believe that the best way to reach people is face to face–through relationships and evangelism. Everybody has a part to play in reaching the world for Jesus—not just on the Internet or through Christian television, but actually talking and praying with people one on one. Technology is great and all, but it is not easy street for the Christian in the 21st Century. Being a Christian is not about going to a cozy church with cushy seats, going out to lunch, catching a movie, going home and surfing the net to throw a few Bible passages out there, and then getting all of that fellowship by chatting with others on-line. That may be fun and all, but Jesus said to go into all of the world and preach the gospel. I know that Jesus didn’t have the Internet back then, jet planes, high speed trains, cars, etc., but he still wanted us to reach out to others. What is interesting about today is that anyone of us could probably go to all parts of the earth in a matter of hours. God may not be calling you to do this, but he is calling all believers to reach out to others with the good news of the gospel—in our attitudes, love, prayers, and yes our words. I just don’t believe that surfing the net or watching Christian television, for example, was what Jesus had in mind of reaching the world. While these mediums have their place, they should not be the final way of reaching people.
There are so many people who are hurt in this world. When it comes to ministry in our country, it is much different than if one was ministering overseas, for example. In our country one has to find unique ways to reach people….ways that are creative and ingenious. That can be good, but oftentimes it is really challenging. We need a breakthrough by the Holy Spirit. We need God to revive His people and in turn use us to reach the world.
Nowhere in scripture does it say that the most godly and holy people are the wealthiest. The scripture does talk about the influence of money—it can be used for good or evil. In America, the people that get listened to are oftentimes the richest, because they have the influence to get on television or be in some other sort of key leadership role in society. Believers tend to adopt the world’s approach to faith and success and can think that if one has a lot of money, they must be blessed by God so they should be listened to. Since people want and even need more money they are so willing to listen to a successful person even over reading the Bible. As a matter of fact, so many today do not even really know what the Bible has to say about various topics in life (like success and money), and are simply reaching out to others who are financially successful.
People in other countries who are of the so called “third world” do not get caught up as easily in all of the distractions that we have, and can be much more receptive to the Lord working in their lives. But, here is an alarming fact: the American culture is affecting the world. We are not having the positive affect that we should be having. When it is all said and done, all of the entertainment that has been sucked in by Americans will burn up someday if it was not used for the glory of God. Yes, some of it can be used for the good, but how much of it is meant (by the enemy) to simply numb people to what is really going on? There is a warring of the souls of mankind. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) talks about the battle that believers are in: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Even though this is a reality for believers, too many live like this battle doesn’t exist. They just try to blame issues on other people and say things like you can’t blame the devil, but you must take responsibility. I find this amazing because everything in this world has a spiritual element. The enemy is probably saying “thank you, thank you” for not revealing my existence and influence in this world, and his power gets stronger and stronger. If we know the Bible and live out what Jesus said to do, we will be taking responsibility for our actions, but will also not be denying the influence of the evil one. Life makes much more sense when we understand the struggle that we are in. We need to listen to the Lord over others logic.
I would even go as far to say that the enemy’s power is probably having some of the greatest impact in the United States since people do not believe much in his influence here. Let’s take a quick look at the logic of that: the influence that America has (that most other countries don’t have) is its wealth and military dominance. Where in scripture does it say that if you have enough money and power, the devil will go away or only have influence in some situations?
We must pray for our country. I would like to say that in order for people to be reached here it will just take more material blessings and comfort, but I don’t necessarily believe that. While there will always be exceptions, I truly believe that our country needs to be shaken to its core in order for people to cry out to the Lord. We need to pray for God to reach people in a way that would glorify Him.
You may wonder why I spent so much time talking about our responsibility as Christians to reach others versus how others can affect us. The reason is because I have come to realize that it is really the influence of the enemy who is behind all of this confusion–he wants to keep us from fulfilling God’s ultimate plan for our lives (which is to reach people for the Lord thru whatever path God leads us on). We need to take the trash out in our life, for sure. But, we must first understand who our real enemy is; it is not those that have influenced us in the wrong way, but rather Satan and his hierarchy of rulers. When we believe the scriptures, it will change how we relate to others. When we pray, we will see God’s power at work. We will be able to look at others with compassion and not let their words and attitudes take control of us anymore. When we trust God, he will allow us to stand strong.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13 NIV)
Well said Scott! I appreciate your thoughts and comments so much. It is absolutely true – the internet and all the fancy things we have today cannot substitute for face to face relationship building in our lives – you’re right – Jesus if here today would be out with the masses in our neighborhoods and in the market places of our cities – reaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God.
We need to rid ourselves of distractions and ‘trash’ so true – and the enemy who is sneaky and always looking for weakness in us – can blindside us if we do not have our guard up – and he can use people to speak negative and destructive things into our lives to bring us down and cloud our judgment – I truly believe this.
Relationships in our lives should be our highest priority – and we should live our lives in such a way that is contagious to others around us. If we are ‘filled up’ with God and have no distractions and ‘trash’ in our hearts and minds – the job can be done so much easily. I believe we can get in the way of God’s purpose if we are not ready to hear Him and do what He asks us to do.
The longest I have ever lived in a house in my life was 8yrs just prior to getting married. My dad was in the military for a while, then we moved with his company a lot. My dh and I have moved a lot too. I have moving down to a science, but I absolutely hate moving. We’ve lived here for two years. After a year, my dh was already talking about moving again.
Wow!! You totally understand it too! Moving forces us to let go of ‘junk’ doesn’t it?
“Let It Go!” or “Let Them Go” then, move on…..great thoughts today, throwin out the TRASH!!! Thanks for the encouragement to “clean house” Cindy!! And yes it feels wonderful when we let the “Trash” go……
Yup!! That’s a truth we all need to live by Debi!! Good for you!!