Garage Sale Anyone?
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“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).
My husband thought a garage sale would be a good idea to de-clutter our home. Once everything had been gathered from the far corners of every nook and cranny of the house, I stood staring at the tables loaded with our accumulated junk. Oh my goodness! How did we collect so much? Why had we thought that we needed all this?
Some items held fond memories but did I really need them? Seeing the mother-load collected there was fodder for thought. My home isn’t the only thing that needs de-cluttering. My life, my goals and desires, places I’d love to visit, things I’d like to accomplish, all this needs to be weighed on the comparison scale of God’s surpassing greatness.
There’s nothing wrong with setting goals if they are aligned with Gods plan for our lives, but it’s amazing how many decisions in a day can detract us from the bigger purpose of knowing God.
Paul said that he considered everything a loss in comparison to knowing Jesus. In fact he went as far as to say that he thought of them as rubbish, worthless trash. I couldn’t help but think that my garage sale was a load of old rubbish. Most of my heart’s desires have bordered on rubbish because He hasn’t called me to the things I’ve been chasing after.
When I stop and consider my pale desires in light of the surpassing greatness of knowing Him, how can they compare?
Remember the merchant in Matthew 13:45 looking for fine pearls? When he found one of great value he sold everything he had just to own the precious pearl. I want Jesus to be my precious pearl, to take the place of all the “rubbish” that distracts me from knowing Him.
Here’s something else I’ve discovered: when we let go of the clutter we find our greatest fulfillment in knowing Him, even on routine days.
Remind us Lord that nothing comes even remotely close to knowing You. Help us de-clutter our lives. We need You Lord, today and always. Live in us Father God, and may your resting place reside in us today and always. Amen.
Questions: What clutter in your life today is keeping Jesus from taking first place?
About the author Beverley Rayner
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Beverly, THANK YOU for sharing this devotional. God is SO good! Jesus must be everything and He will work to bring that about. He is jealous for us with an everlasting love and will mold and shape us into His image! Thank You, Lord, for our sister Beverly! Thank you for giving her words of life to express. Bless her abundantly and lead her in everything, today, tomorrow, and always oh Lord! Amen!
Jesus is first on my everything in the life He has given me. I especially decided to get to know Him more whe I had THE two breakdowns that told me I had a chemical imbalance in my brain and that I was born with it. I have continues everyday and every New Years to closer to Him every second of my day. I have no one now in my family that compares to His Love.
Yes we all need to declutter our homes BUT what is more important is that we take time out to “SPRING CLEAN” our souls. A daily decluttering of what is taking place within is more important to God than all the clutter that is around our homes.
When ones life is more cleaned up on the inside THEN our outer life tends to be more cleaned up as well.
I LOVE MY decluttered, beautifully cleaned home…the lovely clean..well maintained cars that God has given my husband and I to be good stewrads of..never are we embarrassed to have noyone walk into our home at any givin time…including JESUS if he came knocking at our door. The door of our home and the door of our hearts.
May we all declutter the trash within our thinking, within our hearts and even the words we speak..then we ought to take the time to donate all the extra “JUNK” around our homes to charity.
Beverly, Why don’t you give away your “rubbish” instead of gaining money in addition to gaining God’s compassion. I don’t have garage sales anymore unless it is a moving sale and there is quite a bit to unload. Taking it to our local Christian Love In Action Charity store gives me hope that someone can benefit from my rubbish and I haven’t gained anything in return except the hope that I have brought someone else a bit of happiness. Giving the money gained back to God through charity would be a good idea too.
de-cluttering my life is a full time job lol but i thank God that Jesus is with me every second of everyday for that job!