It has been dear to me. You see, I could put many, many things in that cabinet. Last year I heard from my administration that I needed to learn to let go because it would be leaving my room in the future. I just couldn't think of life without this cabinet! I cleaned out last year and reorganized it hoping to help them see that the cabinet was still good. It might be old, but it was still worth saving!
(insert emotional music here....)
A couple of weeks ago, the inevitable happened. There was a new kid, er - cabinet, in town and I was told to purge some more and get my supplies into my new cabinet.
(insert more emotionally driven music here...)
How was I going to get all that was in my big, white cabinet into what was now my new - smaller - cabinet? I had just purged so much this past year so I knew what I had was needed.....
As the new purging began, I began to open up the boxes and view the supplies. I began to see some items in each box that I had kept for a long time. When I looked at them through new, "you have to get this done" eyes, I began to realize I had no need for some of the items I had been holding onto through the years. There were a lot of things that were kept that as I pulled them out I wondered what I was thinking when I kept them. There were other things that had been hidden and needed to be thrown out completely. Then there were just some items I needed to release. Period.
You see, my big, white cabinet actually became a holding area to things that were a hindrance to my teaching. Even though it seemed organized, it was distracting when I went inside to look for the items I really needed. There were too many places that things could "hide." As the purging continued I began to rethink and reorganize in a different way. Some of my old storage boxes would not fit into the new cabinet. I had to visualize a whole new way of storing what was needed.
In the end, I had actually done more cleaning out than I originally thought a year ago. I truly purged things I had been holding onto for so long that they became comfortable and "ignored." The new cabinet has been a blessing because I have been able to keep what I truly needed. I have found I can do more with less.
In the coming weeks my old cabinet will be torn out. My new cabinet will take its place.
As I was finishing up cleaning my room for the end of the year, the Lord began to impress a spiritual twist to this cabinet. He began to help me see how this applied to our spiritual lives.
How many times have we been just like how I have felt about the big, white cabinet? We love a place that can hold a lot of things inside - but they are not always things that are needed. We are comfortable with the space that can be filled with items that can actually hinder us instead of help us. They are things that we hold onto - and sometimes hide. Then there are just some things that need to be released. Period.
Things like.....
Jealousy.
Bitterness.
Doubt.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Worry.
Complaining Spirit.
I could go on....
Sometimes the Lord has to tell us He is removing our big, white cabinet that holds all of these items that hinder our spiritual growth. Sometimes He gives us a "heads up" that a purging needs to happen. We do our part and purge in the way we think takes care of the spiritual problem, just as I had purged "enough" last year in the big, white cabinet. But when I was forced to further examine what was in my cabinet I found out I was holding on to more things than I originally thought. It is the same in our spiritual lives. The Lord uses circumstances in our lives, like my new cabinet was at school, to force us to recognize things that are not needed. He uses His Word to help us spiritually purge the anger, jealousy, bitterness, doubt, fear, anxiety, worry, complaining spirit, etc. These are not needed as we become more like Christ.
My old cabinet began to lose its sentimental hold on me. I began to see that, while it had its purpose, it was time to let it go. As I was leaving school I began to spiritually connect that the old cabinet is like our old sinful nature. The old nature wants us to think we need to have a big enough space to carry around the extra items. We believe we have to hold onto attitudes and beliefs that are not needed. When the Lord makes us a new creation, like my new cabinet, He helps us to get rid of things we hold onto that are taking up valuable space. We need to let them go. Instead, we can be filled with the items that will be useful and needed. Spiritual things such as....
Faith.
Love.
Self-Control.
Patience.
Goodness.
Joy.
Peace.
Gentleness.
When my big cabinet gets torn out, I actually want to be there to observe it. I want to see how the new will replace the old. I am grateful that the Lord is always there when He tears out my old sinful nature "cabinet." He replaces the old with new. Our theme verse at school for this just finished year was II Corinthians 5:17 ~
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
How fitting for me to end the school year with another view of how God makes all things new!
So what big, white cabinet is the Lord trying to help you get rid of in your life?
Don't hold to what you think you need - allow the Lord to show you what needs to be purged.
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