This process of preparing for the move was very long and tedious. As each room was sorted through things were placed in one of three categories. Some items were to be packed to go on the trailer to the new home. Other items were put in bags or boxes to be taken to charity. And the third category was items that were simply trash which needed to be thrown away. After living for several years at this location there was a lot to go through.
Often God directs us to move on to a new direction in life. “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19 AMP) As we follow His path we will find that we will need to go through a similar process to preparing to move from home to home. If God is planning a new thing for us some of the old will no longer be a part of our lives. This is the time when we will have to evaluate everything that we currently hold dear. Some will continue to be a valuable part of our lives but other things must be given or thrown away.
As we begin the sort through our lives we will find that some things are just simply no longer important. Even if once useful they have now served their purpose and have become quite worn out. These things would now just be in our way and we must cast them aside. “Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1 AMP) These things are not all sin but will all get in the way of God’s call. It is time to throw them away.
As we continue to sort we will also find other items in our spiritual
walk that may no longer be appropriate for what God is calling us to do, but
may be beneficial to others. Sometimes God may ask us to give away a favorite
book or CD series that has caused a lot of growth in us in the past. He may be
asking us to give away practical items such as clothing, jewelry, household
items and other things. This is when we see a need in the body of Christ and
can share with one another. We can be encouraging. “Therefore encourage
(admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another,
just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 AMP) And we can enhance the lives of our brothers and sisters. “Contribute to the
needs of God’s people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the
practice of hospitality.” (Romans 12:13 AMP)
Finally
our sorting will uncover the critical things that must go with us. The most
important of this is the Word of God that we have learned through the years. “Your
word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm
119:11 AMP) God is
equipped us with many things along the way and He will continue to use these in
our lives. Our character growth and memories of
God’s faithfulness must go on with us. These we must pack and keep close at hand for the journey. Much of
what has been done in our past has been preparation for the path ahead.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are times when
many look back on their lives over the past year. As the year 2014 comes to an
end today we can take a moment to evaluate where in life we are right now. We
can also look with hopeful expectation so what 2015 will bring to us and
consider what we will bring to it. What will you hold dear to this year? What will you give away? And what must you simply throw away?
No comments:
Post a Comment