Daily Devotional – 3/19/12 “Junk the junk!”

If you’ve ever watched the show hoarders or even seen folks who hold on to any and everything, then you know that harboring junk can kill you, right? When you have your life so clustered with junk it can ultimately smother you which cuts off your breath and kills you. So why are you still holding on to the stuff that you should have thrown away a long time ago? You know that old car hasn’t worked in years, so why not junk it? Those old clothes that you have in the closet in the spare bedroom that you haven’t worn since the 80’s, junk them. Those old boxes in the attic that you said you were going to go through when you moved in the house 10 years ago, junk it. That old boyfriend/girlfriend who only comes around when they need something and then run when the something runs out, junk them too. There isn’t any reason why you need to go through stuff you haven’t seen in years because I can guarantee that if you haven’t needed it in all this time you won’t. You still got receipts from 92, for what because whatever the receipt is for you can’t return it now, junk it! Isaiah 43:18 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” See, if something is in the past then it’s where it needs to be. That’s why I always say that you should think back over your past life but don’t look back because if you look back then you’ll want to turn back.

It’s like being a recovering drug addict but you’ve decided to keep the old needles and crack pipes around so that you’d remember the things you used to do but how could that possibly make sense? You’re recovering from an abusive spouse but you decided to keep all his stuff in the house or you’re a recovering alcoholic and you keep the bar stocked with old bottles filled with water so that you can remember. No, that’s just plain crazy because those aren’t memories, that’s junk! See, there is a huge difference between memories and junk. Saving pictures from your marriage is memories but saving a letter your husband wrote when he left you 7 years ago is junk. Yea, I know you say you’ve moved on but if you still read it occasionally, then you haven’t. Let it go so that you can move on. Junk it! Saving items from your son when he was a baby are memories but saving the receipt from when he went to jail 12 years ago is junk. Yea, I know you saved it so that you could remind him of the mistake he made but if he has learned from the mistake, went to college, got a decent job and has a family of his own now, you need to let it go. Stop holding that over his head because it you keep bringing that up from time to time, he’ll eventually resent you for it. Junk it! Stop holding on to things and folk that should have been thrown out a long time ago. If the things you all used to do together isn’t tickling your fancy anymore then make a change. If you and best friend partied every weekend together but now it’s not your scene, then she should respect it and if she can’t then she needs to be junked. If you and your husband spent Sunday’s at the house or out shopping but now you want to spend it at church and he can’t understand that after months of you going, then he needs to deal with it. Now, I could say junk him but that wouldn’t be fair or right because if you and your spouse are unequally yoked (which means spiritually) then it’s up to you to show him God by the way you carry yourself because eventually he’ll want to get to know your God because 1 Corinthians 7:14 says, “For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.” Now, if your husband or wife chooses not to get to know your God then 1 Corinthians 7:15 says, “But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.”

See, God didn’t place us here on Earth to live in turmoil. He said that we would face trouble but not in our own home. Your home should be a place of peace where the outside world doesn’t have a place, where you find comfort on those days the job has been stressful, a place of protection when it seems like your enemies are everywhere you turn, a place of forgiveness when you’ve made a mistake, a place where love abides when you can’t find it anywhere else, a place where there’s joy when you’ve cried all day long from the burdens you’ve had to carry and a place where you find rest when your soul is weary from fighting worldly battles. Your home should be your home and not a battleground. That’s why you have to junk the junk because as long as you hold on to mess, there is no way you can be blessed! Box up all the anger, hostility, hatred, resentment, un-forgiveness, selfishness, bitterness and plain old meanness and JUNK IT! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God has plans for you, for your life but he can’t show them to you or even bless you with it when you can’t hear what he is saying. Unblock your way by removing all of the junk! In order to receive a blessing you have to make room for your blessing. Junk the junk and do it starting today. Say I apologize, I forgive you, I love you, I’ll pray for you, let’s pray together, let’s start over, let’s work on this thing or even better, let’s let God work this thang! All of these make room for your growth by removing all the things that are/were hindering you. Junk the junk because it doesn’t look good on you anyway!