Once again as a family we are preparing to move house. This will be the seventh home Kylie and I have moved into since we were married just over 21 years ago. I hope this is the last one for a long time.
As the packing of boxes is now gaining momentum I cannot believe how quickly we accumulate “things”. With every move I have taken the opportunity to sort through the accumulation and offload what is surplus to requirements. For some reason though, no matter how thorough I have been, no matter how diligent I have been not to hoard any more, I just seem to keep accumulating “things”. Having had a house fire, and another culling session, the garage seems to be as full as it ever was!
What is true for us in the natural is also true in the spiritual. We continually accumulate baggage which must be removed. I am referring in particular to the baggage of guilt and shame which becomes ours through sin. God has provided a wonderful mechanism by which we can offload the burden we carry and give it over to Him. It is called repentance.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” If we sincerely confess our sins to God (trusting in Christ), He assures us of His forgiveness; the stain of guilt will be washed away. This assurance means that we need not carry the baggage of guilt and condemnation around with us. Christ has born it for us and taken it away.
Rom 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
We are fallen creatures and we continue to sin. As a consequence we continue to accumulate baggage. If we don’t learn to sincerely repent on a regular basis (the Lord’s Prayer indicates daily), our lives become cluttered and weighed down with the guilt and shame of sin. Spiritually we become like a house overrun with rubbish. We are the temple of God’s Spirit and therefore we must seek to keep the house tidy and in good order.
May the Lord help us all to keep short accounts with Him.