Mar 28

Romans 12:⁹ [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. (AMP)

 

Ok, I confess.  I'm a chronic packrat.  I keep stuff that I no longer use on a regular basis just because I might need it someday.  I hold onto things because I worked so hard to earn it.  Some things have sentimental value (wait, I thought you were an engineer...) and I just can't take it to the dump or donate it and have it treated like second hand junk.  All who will read this have been to my house and know that I confess the truth (looking forward to some comments on this one)!

Sometimes our outward, physical habits are a reflection of our inward, emotional and mental habits as well.  We latch onto emotional or mental baggage and replay that scene over and over looking for answers that will calm our emotions or complete our lack of understanding.  At times, I've found myself spending hours wondering, replaying events, talking to third parties, etc, rather than simply going to the root of the problem with my questions or issues.  Instead, finding no answers I spiral downward into depression often making up tremendously negative things that simply never happened and aren't true except in the alternate reality of my own mind.  Often, in fact, once I do approach the other person its truly a confrontation rather than a discussion or fact-finding mission and results in yet more issues with which to wrestle.

God reminds us that we're to hold fast or cling to what is good.  So why is that so difficult when I'm grumpy or when I've been insulted or hurt?  I think that's when my true, sinful, nature comes out the strongest.  Satan desperately needs us to be in conflict with each other and ourselves.  Unity, order, cohesion, and Love are and come from God.  Satan is all about destroying that within us and between us.  As fallen people, we immediately default to the negative, critical, suspicious, disagreeable, irritable, cantankerous - well you get the picture - people Satan needs us to be in order to thwart God's Kingdom building in and around our lives.  

How do we break the sin nature and learn to hold fast to that which is good?  We don't - well, not on our own.  We're talking about a fundamental change in our character.  Only God's amazing grace has the power to change our sin nature.  In order to allow his grace to flow, however, we must let go.  We've got to part with the junk, the "in case I need its," and the "heirlooms" that hold us back from being the positive, loving, people that God desires us to be. 

So what junk do you have that you need to get rid of to let God change your character?  Self-reliance? Inability to acknowledge your own sin? Apathy towards others and the things of God?  Un-forgiveness?  This list of Satan's footholds in our lives is endless and unique to each one of us.  Fortunately, God places Himself inside of us where He can expose the fundamental root of our anguish.  He can show us those things that we hold onto that are keeping us from living, enjoying, and being a witness to His promised life of abundance.  Let go of the junk you know you don't need.  Quit making the world around you something it's not and start experiencing the transforming power of God's love and grace!