CLUTTER

 

There is an old adage which states that we get so used to our clutter that do not see the real mess it actually is. This truth assaulted me in a very impactful way over the last two weeks.

I mentioned in the last Minute Message that we have several other churches using our facilities. The newest is Celebration Foursquare, a congregation of mostly young, energetic and creative people.

They have cleaned every nook and cranny of our facilities. Multiple truckloads of accumulated "junk" (I say that reverently!) from the past many years were hauled off to the county dump. This was stuff I had seen for years but simply ignored it or moved it deeper into the storage rooms. It has been incredible to watch these dear people work hard to take our trash away. We are truly indebted to them for what they have done.

Now, just in case any of you are feeling a little smug, as though you don't have any accumulated junk hanging around, I challenge you to invite someone to clean your church (or home) who has no sentimental connections to any of your stuff. Give them permission to remove anything you haven't used in 5 years and stand back and watch the action.

This same group has done a tremendous job designing the Youth Room, building a media booth, cleaning, carpeting and a host of other jobs. I can't praise them enough for their dedicated expression of love and appreciation to us.

Of course, this has inspired me to consider how much garbage we allow to clutter our spiritual life. Stuff we see, and know is there, but just ignore. We get so used to our personal junk (spiritually) that we actually accomodate it by finding new and better ways to store (hide)it.

Then God does something wonderful for us and sends someone our way who sees the junk for what it is and offers to help us clean it up. We are then confronted by several possible choices.

  • We can get indignent and pretend to be insulted by such a "rude" suggestion.
  • We can refuse to believe we have any junk.
  • We can defer and promise to clean it up ourself - 'tho that's unlikely.
  • We can see that the Lord is doing something special for us and graciously accept the offer.

    • I had to swallow hard and deal with my embarrasment about all the junk which had multiplied over the years. Seriously, it was pretty humiliating. Now, don't get me wrong. These wonderful people did nothing to make me feel badly - it was the sight of all that junk that stunned me.

    I encourage you to look around your life and see the "junk" for what it is and do your best to get it out of your life. Perhaps the Lord will send someone to you to help you see the need. Hey!! Maybe that someone is me!!

    I pray the Lord blesses you today.

    Warmly, in His love and life,

    Roland Scroggins

    © 2006