Drop the Trash
Cowritten with Lynda Green
Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, “come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
As I was getting ready for work one morning and running behind, as usual, I continued to try to get just one more thing done. Another load of laundry, another load of dishes and maybe get another bed made real quickly before I leave. How does the time pass so quickly when I’m in a hurry? Got to leave- time for work! Finally, got all my stuff to run out the door. Purse? check. Lunch box? check. A little of this and a little of that and oh! Don’t forget the coffee! Goodness gracious, don’t forget the coffee. Arms and hands are completely loaded. Where are my keys? Okay, got them. Then finally, out the door when I realized, it was trash day.
There is no way I am going to set all this down to grab the trash. Surely I can pick up the trash too. I only had a half of a bag of trash anyway. A remnant of trash you might say. So…grabbed the remnants of my trash and finally made it out the door. Struggling as I must, the trash had to come with me. Only a 1/4 of a bag of trash, but it was giving me so much trouble trying to add it to an already difficult load.
Finally I make it to the car but I have so much stuff I am truly struggling trying to get everything in the car. I didn’t notice though in my haste why I was struggling so hard. I finally had to stop and realize I was stuck! As I sat there staring at all the things in my hands I heard this still small voice, “Drop the trash”. When I looked around I saw I still had hold of that trash bag. Immediately I dropped it and I became free to move with ease. I could not believe how such a small very light bag of trash could have me stuck.
I began to think of all the “trash” that I have in my own life that has caused me to so often get stuck and me not be able to move in the direction God has for me. Stuck in bitterness, anger, worry, fear, resentment, lack, unforgiveness, oppression, depression…the list goes on and on. 1Peter 5:7 (NLT) says to “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” and Psalm 55:22 (NLT) says to “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. ” There is such an importance in our walk with the Lord in “dropping the trash”. We can not carry it with us and be be able to walk with God. There’s no room there for all the bags.
So, I ask you today to consider what trash or burdens are you carrying around that’s holding you back from walking in the fullness of God? Cast your burdens down today and a He will give you rest.
