September 3, 2010

Once, when I was teaching preschoolers, I read the familiar “Twas the Night before Christmas” tale to the class. Upon finishing, one boy asked, “Why did Santa have to take out the trash?” Puzzled, I asked him what he was thinking. He responded, “You said he tore open the window and threw out the trash!”

How long has it been since you “opened the window (of your heart) and threw out some “trash”? The context for this question comes from Colossians 3. Paul is writing to the early believers about holy living. He is very specific to list what needs to be thrown out of our lives from our old way of living. “Rid yourself of impurity, lust, sinful desires, anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another.” It is very easy to assume he is talking to “other people” until you hear it said a bit differently. The Message paraphrases it like this; “kill off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God”.

When put that way, we can understand how our old ways of thinking, responding, and reacting can quickly begin to stink up our lives. It is easy to see how important it is to regularly take out the trash. When we don’t throw out the old ways of living, the stenches of the old begin to “stink up” the place. If we never throw out the old ways of living, our lives cannot reflect the sweet aroma of Christ.

Sometimes, we intentionally try to hold on to the “old way” because no one has challenged us to get rid of them. However, all too often, we don’t consider just how “sticky” these habits can be and how easily they begin to spoil the new plans God has for us. What would our days look like if we had the courage to “open the window and throw out the trash?” This word picture is worth considering.

Paul offers some great ways to get rid of “smells” in our lives. First he exhorts us to set our minds on things above, to think of heavenly things; God’s goodness, his love, his mercy, his provision and power in us, INSTEAD of trashing our thoughts with the pungent smells of mean thoughts, greed, comparing, wishing you had more, or evil desires. Paul implores us to rid ourselves of the old by replacing it with God’s new way of living: “compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.” “Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” The Message.

Have you noticed how easy it is to be offended by other people’s stench yet are quick to ignore our own smelly trash? Too often, I have tried to hide “my junk” by pointing out the smells of others.

What would happen if we found the courage to ask a friend to help us do some cleaning: to throw out slander, gossip and bad language, angry thoughts? How cleansing would it be to replace them with encouragement, a listening ear, a tender touch or sincere empathy? As you know, taking out the trash is a weekly chore. It can never be taken off the “to do” list. But how totally refreshing it is to get rid of the “stuff” that is holding us back from experiencing true freedom in Christ.

May the aroma of Christ bring healing, peace and contentment to your lives. May Christ continue to give me the courage to throw out the trash and replace the old with His new!

Reflect and Respond
1. Read all of Colossians in one sitting. Ask God to help you identify
    “your trash” and begin to get rid of it.

2. Colossians 3 is known as “Holy Living”. What do you think it means
    to live a Holy Life?

3. Read Colossians 3 from at least three different translations (netbible.com).
    Who can help you do some cleaning?

Beth and her husband Tim have lived in Bentonville for 30 years. They have 3 children, 2 daughter-in laws- and a grandbaby that arrived in May. Beth loves to take pictures, read, and find humor in almost every situation. She can be reached at bekenyon@fellowshipnwa.org.

September 3, 2010

Once, when I was teaching preschoolers, I read the familiar “Twas the Night before Christmas” tale to the class. Upon finishing, one boy asked, “Why did Santa have to take out the trash?” Puzzled, I asked him what he was thinking. He responded, “You said he tore open the window and threw out the trash!”

How long has it been since you “opened the window (of your heart) and threw out some “trash”? The context for this question comes from Colossians 3. Paul is writing to the early believers about holy living. He is very specific to list what needs to be thrown out of our lives from our old way of living. “Rid yourself of impurity, lust, sinful desires, anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another.” It is very easy to assume he is talking to “other people” until you hear it said a bit differently. The Message paraphrases it like this; “kill off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God”.

When put that way, we can understand how our old ways of thinking, responding, and reacting can quickly begin to stink up our lives. It is easy to see how important it is to regularly take out the trash. When we don’t throw out the old ways of living, the stenches of the old begin to “stink up” the place. If we never throw out the old ways of living, our lives cannot reflect the sweet aroma of Christ.

Sometimes, we intentionally try to hold on to the “old way” because no one has challenged us to get rid of them. However, all too often, we don’t consider just how “sticky” these habits can be and how easily they begin to spoil the new plans God has for us. What would our days look like if we had the courage to “open the window and throw out the trash?” This word picture is worth considering.

Paul offers some great ways to get rid of “smells” in our lives. First he exhorts us to set our minds on things above, to think of heavenly things; God’s goodness, his love, his mercy, his provision and power in us, INSTEAD of trashing our thoughts with the pungent smells of mean thoughts, greed, comparing, wishing you had more, or evil desires. Paul implores us to rid ourselves of the old by replacing it with God’s new way of living: “compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.” “Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” The Message.

Have you noticed how easy it is to be offended by other people’s stench yet are quick to ignore our own smelly trash? Too often, I have tried to hide “my junk” by pointing out the smells of others.

What would happen if we found the courage to ask a friend to help us do some cleaning: to throw out slander, gossip and bad language, angry thoughts? How cleansing would it be to replace them with encouragement, a listening ear, a tender touch or sincere empathy? As you know, taking out the trash is a weekly chore. It can never be taken off the “to do” list. But how totally refreshing it is to get rid of the “stuff” that is holding us back from experiencing true freedom in Christ.

May the aroma of Christ bring healing, peace and contentment to your lives. May Christ continue to give me the courage to throw out the trash and replace the old with His new!

Reflect and Respond
1. Read all of Colossians in one sitting. Ask God to help you identify
    “your trash” and begin to get rid of it.

2. Colossians 3 is known as “Holy Living”. What do you think it means
    to live a Holy Life?

3. Read Colossians 3 from at least three different translations (netbible.com).
    Who can help you do some cleaning?

Beth and her husband Tim have lived in Bentonville for 30 years. They have 3 children, 2 daughter-in laws- and a grandbaby that arrived in May. Beth loves to take pictures, read, and find humor in almost every situation. She can be reached at bekenyon@fellowshipnwa.org.