1 John 2:15-17
Don’t love the world or anything that
belongs to the world. If you love the world, you cannot love the
Father. Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish
desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes
from the Father. The world and the desires it causes are disappearing.
But if we obey God, we will live forever.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I
have been doing a lot of sorting in the last several weeks…sorting
through books and other items at my mother’s house…sorting through
closets and drawers at my own home as I try to reduce clutter and get
organized…sorting through files on my computer in an attempt to clean
out the junk and get things in proper order. And in doing all of this, I
have learned something important…we place too much value on the wrong things.
As
I’ve gone through my mother’s belongings, I’ve realized that I cannot
keep them all…and many of the items that held importance for her do not
mean the same thing to me. I read several online articles that suggest
that we often attach significance to items that belonged to our parents
or another loved one, because we see those things as an extension of
that person. And this is misplaced attachment. It’s hard to see the
“treasures” that our loved ones saved and realize that they do not
represent this person – and that our feelings toward him/her will not be
diminished if we let them go. I am a slow learner, so I’m sure I have
brought home more than I should have…and someday we either have to sort
through it again – or someone else will!
Here’s the thing…as much
as I appreciate my mother’s writings…her books and journals, music,
dishes and the family heirlooms she saved for me…they are not what
defined her. I would give up every single item to spend even one hour
sitting on a bench with Mother - watching Timothy, Zola and Nathan play
in her back yard. We could revel in their joy…and what it took to get
to this point in our lives. We might not speak at all, but there would
be a shared understanding of how God intertwined our lives - and how
much we all love each other. THIS would be important!
As my
mother lay dying, what was significant was to sit and hold her hand…to
read her messages to her and talk with her when she was awake…to tell
her over and over how much I loved her. For that twelve days, the rest
of the world virtually stood still and/or ceased to exist for me. It
was simply a time to focus on her – on US – and to watch and listen as God orchestrated my mother’s last few days on earth.
This
is how it should be with us as Christians. Yes, we have to get up and
go to work. We have family obligations…shopping, houses to clean, meals
to prepare and laundry to do. Most certainly, we have a lot of things
that require our attention, to some degree. But we clutter life up with
so much more…material acquisitions, foolish pride, attempts to be
something or someone other than what God intended. We waste time on
worry, criticism, negativity and back-biting. We develop airs of
superiority and focus far too much on the physical image that we project
to others. And we pretty well kick God to the curb in the process.
Let’s
stop this nonsense! Let’s pare down and get real…and focus on what is
truly important. Let’s put God at the forefront of EVERYTHING we say
and do…and if He is not in it or for it…let’s let go and move in a
different direction. Let’s store up treasure of the relationship
kind…and truly focus on each other and meeting personal needs. Notice I
didn’t say desires or “wants”…but genuine needs – physically,
mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Let’s rearrange our priorities
to suit GOD…and discover how much more time we have – for EVERYTHING
else!
Spring is almost here. It’s time to do some major sorting
and decluttering – in every area of our lives. I’m in…what about you?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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