A Vapor in the Wind

I don’t like trash. I don’t like it when it smells. I don’t like it when it’s full. I don’t like taking it out. Basically, as a general rule, I just avoid trash as much as I can.

But, contrary to my rule, here I am, writing a blog about it. And here I am in the picture, taking it out to the curb. That’s the funny thing about garbage, no matter how many times you watch the dump truck driving away with it, you always accumulate more.

Garbage isn’t something we plan, it just happens. I have yet to meet a person who starts out their day with the goal of accumulating garbage (hopefully I never will). Trash is a byproduct of life. If you eat candy, you have to deal with the wrapper. If you wear clothes, one day they will be worn out. Even that new TV you just bought will eventually lose it’s value and become worthless. As the days go by, the trash level rises.  Before long it must be dealt with.

That’s where taking it out comes into play. This is a weekly process, for some people it might be daily. No one can live in a house full of garbage. So if we can’t, why do we expect God to?

1 Corinthians tells us that our bodies are the temple (or dwelling place) of the Lord. We have to not only deal with our physical trash, but our spiritual trash as well - the junk that collects in our heart and pushes God out of it. Without even realizing it, we start to pick up garbage. The movies we watch, the books we read, and the things we see and hear at school can begin to build up in our hearts. Even past accomplishments can stand in the way of a relationship with God.

Everyone has to take time to “take out the trash” that builds up in their minds and hearts, and I think most people do. The problem arrises when people don’t realize how often they have to take it out.

You see, people don’t think about the garbage unless they see it spilling out over the lid, or they smell the strong odor of spoiled food. It’s the same in our spiritual lives, we don’t think about the trash in our hearts until it becomes visible on the outside.

Think you might have some trash in your life? Well, I’ve got good news for you...

Today is garbage day.