Last week we were talking about spiritual shoes and our spiritual shoe closet. This week, we want to continue on the shoe theme, and discuss the inevitable result of having multiple pairs of shoes - shoe boxes.
The shoe box is a great thing. At one time each box contained a pair of shoes that either served you well or are currently serving you. If you are like me though once you take the shoes out of the box the box then takes on a life of it’s own - storage container.
This time of year is a good time to begin thinking about using our old shoe boxes for Samaritans Purse. That is a great use for old shoe boxes, and one that helps us reduce all the extra boxes at our homes. This ministry is a great way to share God with a child at Christmas. Each box is link between you and the recipient, and just one more way for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus on earth. Thousands of children all over the world are touched by this ministry, and it is not to late, or to early, to begin planning on being part of this ministry. Now that we have shamelessly plugged on of our favorite ministries, we shall continue.
Personally I keep CD’s, misc pens, cards, small collectibles, photo’s, memories, old notes, small tools, batteries, and numerous other things in shoe boxes. They become a cheap and efficient organization tool. Unfortunately, as good as they are at being organization tools, many times they also become the holders of things that need to thrown away. My wife would tell you that most of my shoe boxes are not storage containers, but are clutter collectors. Regardless of how you personally use old shoes boxes, one key function of the old shoe boxes in many people’s lives is that they become memory containers.
Shoe boxes full of pictures are in many homes. Within them we find the story of people’s lives. The sad thing is when all the person has to show for their life can be contained within a few shoe box’s (i.e. memories). Our lives should always contain things that are current and vibrant. We should never have to go to our shoe boxes of memories to define our life, or our current state. Our past may tell us how we got where we are, but it should not say where we are today, or where we are going tomorrow. Our lives should all contain more then stories of our past, no matter how great or bad our past was.
In the same vein, our spiritual shoe boxes should contain memories of our past with God. However, there should never be a time where all we have to show of our walk with Christ is in the past and/or is in storage. Our lives with God should always be moving toward a better future. The various stored memories should be there to remind us of our past, both encouraging our current walk and teaching us lessons (both from our successes and our failures) that are relevant for what we are currently approaching. We should never have a life with Christ that exist only in the past, or one where all we did for God is behind us. The Trinity is working daily in the lives of their people, so their people should be working daily for them as well. All Christians were bought with a price and once we come to God we are called to actively serve, not just reflect on the greatness of our transformation.
Now back to shoe boxes as storage. Many times old shoe boxes become storage bins for things that we need to throw away. Old batteries, pens that are out of ink, broken items, and numerous other pieces of debris all find their way into old shoe boxes around our homes. Many times we just need to throw the stuff out, and move on instead of keeping the stuff “for an emergency later”.
Spiritually we can be the same way. Our spiritual shoe boxes can be holding things that we just need to go on and throw away. Past sins, past habits, past relationships, etc can all be neatly stored “for an emergency later” if we are not careful. Many times we want to keep them in storage where they are available and accessible, but that is not God’s will. We are now His, and we were bought with a price, so we really must “let go and let God” if we are going to function fully within the body. God wants us to get rid of the old and replace it with the new. We are a new creation and no “emergency” should ever drive us back to needing the things of our old life and way. Our shoe box storage of our old junk (be it before or after our salvation) can be one of our biggest weaknesses if we are not careful.
That last two posts have been a bit different, but hopefully God has given you a bit knowledge and a few ideas from the insight that He gave us to write you. It this double blessing that we love about God. We get blessed with God talking to us and teaching us, and hopefully you get a blessing by reading what God leads us to write. In the process of you reading it you may get a entirely different lesson and different knowledge. Same God, same body, different people, different lesson, bigger impact. Ain’t that just a God thing.
This week can be the beginning of the process of cleaning out all the worthless junk in your life. Pray and let God lead you to areas of junk and stored boxes that need to be thrown out. While you are cleaning out your lives, remember God is always there leading and directing you to a deeper and more personal walk with Him. God has plans for your future and He does not desire for you to spend your walk with Him looking backwards. Look forward and see where God is leading while using the lessons from your past to better serve and minister.
