EMPTY THE TRASH

Trash stinks.

It’s nasty. I don’t want it sitting in my yard or my garage. I want it gone ASAP, so I always look forward to pick-up day. But the truth is all of us have trash we carry around far longer than we should and it destroys us inside.

That trash we are holding onto isn’t just last night’s leftovers. It’s the real tough stuff we carry. Negative things we’ve been told:
"You’re not good enough."
"You’ll never amount to anything."
"You’re not qualified."

But also negative things we tell ourselves:
"I can’t compete with so and so. "
"I can’t accomplish anything. "
"I’m a failure."
"I’m not attractive."
"I’m too fat."
"I’m ugly."

We carry around so much trash. We have pain, guilt, fear, all of these emotions locked up inside and we don’t empty the trash and release these negative feelings that are eating us up.  A great verse that talks about what we’re supposed to be thinking and dwelling on is Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

This verse is telling us that God wants us thinking on truthful things, on pure things, on lovely things – not lies that we often tell ourselves and begin to believe.

We don’t have to wait for the trash trucks to come around once a week or twice a week if you’re lucky enough to live in a community that has garbage collection more than once. The perfect place to take your trash and leave it there forever is the altar. Give it to the Lord. Give it all to the God. He’ll get rid of it once and for all.

- Rob Maaddi