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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
A Clean Sweep
December 30, 2005
I have spent the last few days cleaning out stuff that I have
accumulated in the office at church. It hasn't been easy. It is amazing
how quickly things build up and get out of control. I had stacks on
top of stacks on my desk. There were piles of old photographs,
magazines and books that I had planned to go through. As I was
excavating the area behind my desk I found a few things that I
thought had been lost forever. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones when I
came up with a picture of five of my friends from high school that I
thought was lost and gone forever. That was the rewarding side of my
end of the year adventure.
I am not going to talk about the dark side. I didn't know that there
could be layers of dust that marked the different eras of twenty
years of ministry. I'm kidding of course, but when I went through
the papers and memorabilia that I have collected over the last few
years, I was astonished at how much there was. I took several bags
of trash out to the curb before I was done. As we approach New
Year's Day, I hope to make a fresh start.
As I was sitting in the middle of the floor going through the mess, it
struck me that our lives often get just as cluttered over time. We let
little things build up and never deal with them. We develop habits
that take root and begin to control what we do. We inherit attitudes
that shape and color what we think and how we interact with others.
We fall prey to self destructive tendencies that go unchecked. The
truth is that if we dealt with these things when they arose we could
overcome any one of them. But we let them build up and take root in
our lives. How many people thought a simple trip to the Casino would
be fun and ended up becoming a slave to the slots? How many people
started out enjoying a social drink with friends only to become
chained to a bottle? How many people thought that a little harmless
flirtation at work would come crashing down on their home and
family life and end up in divorce court?
I know a lot of people who have let things build up in their lives and
feel that it is too late to do anything about it. They have a big mess
that is out of control and about to bury them. I have good news for
you if you are in that boat today. You can start over and begin life
anew. I like what the apostle Paul says in his letter to the
Philippians. "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is
ahead, I press on toward the prize for which God has called me."
(Phil 3:13-14) The truth is that the door to yesterday is closed and
gone forever. We cannot change the past. It does us no good to live
life looking in the rear view mirror. Regrets over mistakes we made
and missed opportunities will only sink us further. We need to bag
up all these feelings and put them out on the curb so we can start
fresh today. God is willing to help us because He has a plan for our
lives.
Our calling, as people of faith, is to live today for the glory of God.
God has promised to help us if we answer that call. He will move in a
dumpster and help us throw out those things that have built up in
our lives so we can serve him whole heartedly. So do you need to do
some end of the year cleaning? What do you need to pack up and
throw out so you can walk with God in the new year? Think about it
and then call on Him. Take it from me. It feels great to walk in and
see your house is clean and in order. It allows you to start dreaming
again and making plans for the future. So go ahead and get started.
God is ready when you are.
God bless. Happy New Year. See you in Church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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