Today is trash day. And as I was taking my trash out last night I was again amazed at the amount of trash my neighbors have. Maybe I am naive to how much trash we really do accumulate or maybe my recycling really does make a difference. (I won’t address the fact that the city of Morgantown has still failed to provide me with a blue container) Despite lacking a blue container to conveniently sit outside every other week, I still recycle. When my recycling bag starts overflowing, I go to the recycling center. And by overflowing I mean when my kitchen corner starts to resemble a borderline hoarder. Last night (actually, early this morning), I stuffed an empty can of diet ginger ale into one of my bags of recyclable goods. As I stood at my sink, I knew I needed to add one more glass bottle to the bag but I struggled to part with a beverage that I once loved so much. After a much needed smack in the head from God, I emptied the bottle and finally added it to my bag of recycled goods. As I was trying to make a difference by reducing my carbon footprint; God in His complete awesomness was making a difference by expanding my Christian footprint.
In order for all of us to experience true freedom in God, we must constantly add to our bags of used goods and realize when it’s time to take out the trash in our lives. I have given God bags and bags of trash and dirt throughout my life and I have allowed God to recycle broken and used items of my life for His glory. But unfortunately, I have also held onto things that needed to go. Even when I was convinced that I had been delivered from my temptations and weaknesses and the very thought of my sin made me sick to my stomach; I held on. By holding on, I gave Satan just enough room in my life to place his grimy little fingers, giving him the satisfaction of knowing he still had hope to sneak in when I was vulnerable. And he did. He crept back into my life many times , trying to destroy my hope and kill my love for Christ. And Satan will do the same to you friends. When you think you are too strong for the devil and that your will and determination will outlast his; you will fail. You will fail because Satan will never stop trying to destroy everything you have in Christ and as soon as he sees an opening; he has you. The only way we can overcome Satan’s attempts to ruin our lives is to let him know that God has already won the battle and even though we appreciate his desire to be a part of our life, his presence isn’t welcome. Denying Satan a place in our lives isn’t as simple as firmly telling him on one occasion he isn’t welcome. Denying him requires constant obedience and constant surrender to God. Denying him requires us to get rid of EVERYTHING the devil can use against us. And all of us know that an addiction, a temptation, and a desire aren’t an easy thing to get rid of but God is greater than any addiction, temptation, or desire. That is why we MUST overflow our bags (sometimes my bags are industrial size trash bags) with the trash (sin) of our lives and allow God to cast it away forever. The best part is God also recycles. And through His recycling abilities, He uses our trash to strengthen our faith and to pad our résumé in Him. By résumé, I mean our testimony. Through our testimonies, we will serve as members of God’s allied waste services, collecting trash from others. Through our faith and testimonies, we are not only burying Satan in filth and grim but we are expanding God’s kingdom one recycled soul at a time.
I recycle in order to make a difference in our economy but I dread separating the items in my bags at the recycling center. When it comes to the trash and recyclables of my life; I don’t try to separate them. I give it ALL to God and know that He will restore what I need and permanently remove what trash I would have tried to recycle over and over again.
Verse to remember: Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
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