Inspirational Sunday

"Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. Keep your mind clear..."

1 Peter 5:7-8a

Rae's Thought: Each week, the TV show, Hoarders, showcases a person/family who has a serious case of hoarding. The definition of hoarding is to accumulate for preservation, future use, etc, in a hidden or carefully guarded place. These people keep massive amounts of things, sometimes in hopes of using it again or because of sentimental value. Over time, they've collected so much stuff that their living conditions become unlivable. Despite the horror of their living conditions, some of these people have an extremely hard time getting rid of their "junk".

Just like the people showcased on the show, the children of God sometimes have a terrible habit of unnecessarily hoarding "junk". We hoard things like worries, hurts, pains, past events, and anxieties. We keep them in a carefully guarded place in our minds and hearts, either for sentimental reasons (we don't want to forget what's happened), future use (we like to dredge up old stuff), or comfort (sometimes, it's easier to hold on to things because it's familiar).

Hoarding all of these non-necessities can and will make our life conditions unlivable. Our focus is pulled away from God and put on our stash. We find it hard to concentrate. We get bogged down, depressed, weary, etc. As if that weren't enough, we have an enemy who's roaming the earth in search of some unsuspecting hoarder he can devour (1 Peter 5:8). This is why it's so important for us to keep our minds free and clear of these things. As soon as Satan finds a way, he wiggles his way in our hearts and minds, making it hard for us go through life.

Today's verse tells us to give it all to God. Everything. Your cares, anxieties...even the good stuff. Give it to the One who can handle any and everything. Once you've given it all to Him, let Him take care of it. Don't try taking it back. When you've given it up, God will replace it with extraordinary things. I'm talking about peace, joy, true happiness. Allow his Holy Spirit to fill you up and remove your anxieties. Then, and only then, can we live the life of freedom and abundance God has purposed for us to live. Once you're filled with his Spirit, it's like you hanging a "no vacancy" sign in your heart and mind. Satan sees that sign and begrudgingly moves on. He knows that where the Holy Trinity (God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit) reigns, he can't be. He has no other choice but to leave you alone. Isn't that awesome?

Let God come and clear your "junk" now and watch Him do marvelous things in your life!