When we first moved into our Oklahoma home, I kept noticing this run down home with a lot of broken- down farm equipment, etc. and even a couple of train cars that were scattered across the property. We pass this property every time we drive out to our home, and quite honestly, it was an eye sore. The organizational part of me longed to go over there and begin to help the owner get it in order.
When I saw the owner at his mailbox one day, I realized he was pretty old and most likely unable to clean it up anymore. Then one day he was gone. I knew he had passed away because I began to see signs for an estate sale and many different family members frequenting the home.
It’s been several months now, and the family is still not done cleaning up and removing all the things this man had accumulated in his fields. After a time, I began to feel sad that the family now had a fulltime job of sorting through what the previous owner was unwilling to let go of during his lifetime.
If I’m being honest I would tell you that when I see things like that or an overly messy and hoarder-like home, I know the person has some internal pain that they have not dealt with yet.
This reminded me of the baggage we all must deal with in order to live a peaceful and free life with Jesus.
Throughout our lives, things happen to us. Some things are done to us and others are mistakes or bad decisions we make on our own. Regardless, if we don’t deal with these pains, we inevitably pass them along to our children, and the cycle can go on and on. Just like the physical way I was watching family members clean up that man’s property, we often are stuck dealing with generational sin or baggage from our parents or their parents. But there’s hope! No matter where it originated, it can end with you. This is a powerful and true statement.
Prayer Moment: During this time when we are having so much extra thought space, why not go to God and begin to sort out this generational stuff. Why not empty the baggage out of your life? Why not take this opportunity to allow God to sort the garbage from the treasure in your life? Right now, I am constantly feeling God re-shape my heart. On many different occasions He has stopped me while I’m doing something and said, “You’re just doing it that way to be busy. Stop. Breathe. Find your value in Me.” Still I am working out my value system with God. It’s a long process to undo years of thinking one thing or another. There’s an old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Some use this as an excuse not to change, but I would rather say, “He makes ALL things new.” and live in a world where I am always willing and able to be changed, and to be a person that people enjoy being around rather than one they have to adjust to being around. Wouldn’t you?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
365 Days in the Presence 