I was sitting at a red light today and looked over to my right to see this sign, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? My husband and I just bought a rack at Costco to help organize things in our garage yet again. My husband thinks the garage is in great shape, and he has worked hard to organize it. You can hear the 'but' coming, can't you?! My definition of organized is a little more narrow than his. It has become a bit of a joke because he always seems to find space to store something else in there! Well, when I read that sign, I immediately thought, "Yes! I have junk and it needs to go!" You probably won't be surprised to hear that my husband's definition of junk and mine are also different, so getting him to let go of things is tricky. 

Then my mind took a turn, and I thought about the phrase, "God don't make no junk" attributed to Jazz singer Ethel Waters. Yes, it was a long red light! It hit me. God don't make no junk, but I sure manage to store a heap of it in my 'garage'. I began to think about how God's definition of junk (sin) and organization (righteousness) is so different than mine at times. Sometimes I find it a little tricky to let go of my junk because it doesn't seem that big of a deal, or worse, I get comfortable living in it. Just like my garage, I can clean it out, but somehow the clutter seems to multiply on its own, and before I know it, I am drowning in it once again. Some of the junk that piles up can be pretty ugly. It takes consistent upkeep. "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God." 1 John 3:9

I sometimes have a tendency to spend my quiet time in the morning binge shopping on Amazon instead of reading my Bible. If I'm not careful, I can sit down with my coffee and my Bible, but quickly get distracted by email. One of those emails is usually from Amazon and says, "We found something you might like." Of course, I have to click it and see what they found since it was selected especially for me! 😉 Before you know it, it is getting late, and I have wasted my time instead of investing it in studying God's Word. Facebook is another trap that can suck me in and distract me for way too long. I can stay off Facebook pretty easily, but email and Amazon are a LOT harder to resist. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

When I asked the Lord to show me the junk I need to repent of and turn from, this one was definitely on the list. I tried to dismiss it, but He was not going to let me do that. I looked up the definition: an exaggerated sense of one's own importance and abilities. Surely that isn't me!! Unfortunately, it is, and I have struggled with it for a long time. Back when I was working full-time, I can remember thinking that I HAD to go to work sick, or I HAD to postpone that much-needed time off because my office would fall apart without me. Even now, I find myself super busy at times, but not willing to let go of anything. Sound familiar? There is a big difference between confidence and arrogance. My husband often tells me that I believe my way is the only way. He's not wrong. That's arrogance, and I have to own it before I can ask forgiveness for it. "I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." Psalm 32:5

Please don't think that these are the only two areas of my life I struggle with, but they are the two that rear their ugly head most at the moment. We all struggle with different things at different times. None of us are perfect, but it is OK to say that you are making progress in an area that used to be difficult for you. False modesty is just a form of pride disguised as humility. As you mature in your spiritual walk with Christ, you are supposed to see less sin and more fruit. If we aren't making progress, there is a problem. "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." Hebrews 6:1  When we do see the fruit of the Spirit evidenced in our lives, all of the praise goes to our Heavenly Father.

Yes, we all have junk, but we can keep it in check by being steadfast in prayer, studying God's Word, and remaining in community with others who are seeking to do the same. Thanks for being part of our community!