Junk In The Trunk

  • May 22, 2009

Junk in the Trunk

by Laura Steffens

 

As summer fast approaches, the truly wise and inspired won’t “put off doing,” as the old adage says, “tomorrow what they can do today!” Spring cleaning time is here and we can’t ignore it any longer!  Unfortunately like many, I struggle with that pesky little pack rat mentality.  And although my husband would deny it, he also suffers from this affliction.  Every time I open the closet another year of collected ”stuff” resulting in an avalanche of  unused, unnoticed and unneeded things, presumed treasures, tumble out in a heap at my feet; a painful reminder once again that it is most assuredly time to spring clean.

 

Let’s see now what kind of junk is lying on the floor?

 

Oh yeah, there’s that little bit of pride left over from 2007.  I meant to deal with that before the new year.  And there’s jealousy that sprouts up every time someone else is blessed and moving forward in their authority in the things of God.  Of course there is self condemnation that crops its ugly head up periodically too.  I thought I already dealt with that one!  And don’t forget, dealing with rejection is becoming a daily ordeal.  It keeps coming back; but I wouldn’t risk overlooking it.  The list of personal treasures, aka emotional hang-ons, is as diverse as the Christians who tend to ignore their existence.  Secret sin, which when left unattended will ruin the order and clarity in your life.  Sin piles up and tends to get tucked into another closet inside our spiritual house, as we fail once again to deal with whatever is hanging around.  In Song of Solomon 2:15, scripture tells us to beware:

 

"Catch the foxes for us,

The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,

While our vineyards are in blossom."

                                                                    (NAS)

 

The little foxes (or the un-dealt with attitudes in our lives) are attracted to the tender branches of the vine.  The foxes look kind of cute and unassuming, but that is exactly why their destructive nature is so heinous.  The “foxes” enter our garden before the actual fruit blossoms and spoils the vineyard by breaking and damaging the tender vine branches so the harvest cannot mature to its full potential or fruitfulness.

 

It seems unnecessary to point out that The Bible compares Jesus to the vine and his followers to the branches.  We are encouraged to remain in Him, and when we do so, we will, scripture tells us, bear much fruit. (John 15:5-6).

 

The enemy knows he cannot uproot the source of spiritual life in you, but if he can slowly destroy the connection to your life source, ultimately the destruction of your spiritual life will lead to death in your physical one.  This is why scripture warns us to beware of the damage the foxes, the little things in life, can cause.

 

Vineyard farmers deal with the little foxes by building walls around their crops.  Christians deal with the foxes not by building walls, but by releasing those things we would build walls around.  God’s unlimited willingness to take our junk in the trunk, that stuff we hide and haul around, and separate us is an amazing demonstration of His love.

 

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

                                                                            1 John 2:5-6 (NIV)

 

We are called to go from “glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18) and “to be transformed into the image of our God.”  But character change takes time and can be a fearful experience.  The good news is ceasing from sin is something we can do immediately.  It’s our choice, like Spring cleaning. God does the hard stuff by changing our reflection into a more heavenly visage as we surrender to His call and purpose for our lives. 

 

I like to use the familiar concept that says, we do 1% and God does the other 99%.  The only problem is, we fail to continue doing our 1%.  We pray once and ask the Lord to bless or heal our “junk.”  And when the prayer is not answered to our satisfaction, we stop doing our 1%.  The really clever Christian will continue to do his 1%, 99 times or more if necessary.  As said before, it’s our choice!

 

I can choose to be envious of another’s blessing, or I can join with them and rejoice, praise the Lord and honor them for what great blessings He has brought in their life.  How much more productive would it be to consume our thoughts with positive things and wait on the Lord’s work in our own life?

 

There may be a lot of junk in your closet!  If so, now is a good time to clean house.  Get the unwanted, unneeded and unnecessary emotional trinkets that we tend to store in a secret place in our house or our heart and lay them before the Lord.  Do a spring cleaning that will leave room in your house for blessings and peace.

 

We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

                                                   2 Thessalonians 3:4-5 (NIV)