Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Holding onto the Garbage

Daily Readings: Mark 7:1-23

This morning my computer was getting low on memory and I noticed my Recycle bin had something in it.  Even before it had opened I remembered that it was an audio file my fson (foster) and his friend had recorded.  The file had been there for several weeks.  Every time I noticed it I would think "I will listen to it later before I permanently delete it."  So I stopped what I was doing today and listened to it.  As my fson knew the file was indeed just plain garbage.  A file that was taking up space in my computer. 

How much other garbage do I hold onto that I don't need?  The Pharisees were obsessed with rituals given to their Father's centuries before.  9“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" Those traditions had become meaningless.  Yes, it is good to wash your hands before eating.  We know today that there are germs, parasites, and all sorts of other invisible to our eye creatures that can make us sick.  The Pharisees didn't know about these things.  They only knew it was a religious "ritual" that they performed because it was a law given in the days of Moses.  They were holding on to many things, not because it was a way to worship GOD, but because they couldn't let go. 

The television show "Hoarders" is the extreme example of how people can't or won't let go of the trash in their lives.  Those people aren't bad.  They aren't garbage.  They are holding on to things simply because they can't let go. 

Jesus said What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from INSIDE and defile a person.”

What is coming out of me that defiles me?  The saying "garbage in, garbage out" comes to mind.  If I see a violent act it isn't going to make me violent.  It can allow ideas to form in my mind about violence.  The only way to get rid of the garbage in our minds is to pray and ask GOD to remove the garbage.  Ask HIM to permanently remove the things that should be in our recycle bins.  If those things aren't in the recycle bin we need to focus on putting them there.  Only GOD the super computer of all creation can recycle the garbage.  It is up to us to ask HIM to clean us out before we fill up and there isn't space for the good things.

No comments:

Post a Comment