Last Year's Really Yucky Stuff
Our outdoor cats come in the garage for winter. There's food, water, snuggly places to sleep and a place to poop. It's a box filled with litter. It's not a nice litter box, oh no. We learned the hard way that our cat Callie won't go in a covered litter box. Callie prefers wide open spaces, like my laundry basket. This is why she's invited to live outside, but I digress....
I was scooping poop and marveling at the mass quantity our two little cats produce. During warmer days, they poop outside and I don't have to scoop. Even though winter is short here, and my scooping days are few, I was resenting the task, I guess. I thought, "This is disgusting. This is last year's poop!"
Then it hit me. Last year's crud. How much of last year's bad habits, awful thoughts, filth and despair, am I bringing into the New Year? How much are you?
At the risk of sounding trite, let's scoop it. Let's try to sift through all that stuff and leave some of it behind.
James 1:21 says, "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly acccept the word planted in you, which can save you."
I was scooping poop and marveling at the mass quantity our two little cats produce. During warmer days, they poop outside and I don't have to scoop. Even though winter is short here, and my scooping days are few, I was resenting the task, I guess. I thought, "This is disgusting. This is last year's poop!"
Then it hit me. Last year's crud. How much of last year's bad habits, awful thoughts, filth and despair, am I bringing into the New Year? How much are you?
At the risk of sounding trite, let's scoop it. Let's try to sift through all that stuff and leave some of it behind.
James 1:21 says, "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly acccept the word planted in you, which can save you."
Two simple steps for a truly Happy New Year.
Step One: Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that's so prevalent.
Step One: Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that's so prevalent.
How? Pray for God's eyes to see. Ask Him in prayer, "What is the junk from last year that I need to get rid of? Is there any decade-old stuff I'm still living with?"
I assure you that Christ the Lord is delighted with this practical prayer. He will show you. When your eyes are opened, be willing to be part of the process to "get rid of all the moral filth." Clean house...literally and spiritually.
Step Two: Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
It's our choice to accept the planted word or reject it. Choose to accept God's word. The word is a seed and it can grow in you...if you let it!
How can you nuture the seed of the word? Fertilize it with your thoughts. Memorize it so you carry it with you. Water it through prayer with the Holy Spirit. Ask, "Lord, help me plant your word deep in my heart. I want to be changed by it."
How can you nuture the seed of the word? Fertilize it with your thoughts. Memorize it so you carry it with you. Water it through prayer with the Holy Spirit. Ask, "Lord, help me plant your word deep in my heart. I want to be changed by it."
In this way, you can make a New Year's Resolution that will actually result in a new you. James says the word can save you. This word "save" is the Greek word "sozo". It means to be delivered, protected, made well, whole. Those things can happen to you simply by being humble and accepting the word. Wow.
Leave last year's filth behind. Be made whole, through God's word and His power. Now THAT'S a Happy New Year!
Leave last year's filth behind. Be made whole, through God's word and His power. Now THAT'S a Happy New Year!
4 comments:
"Is Crap a bad word?" If your 3 year old says it YES it is! But if an adult says it...well, yes it is. Isn't it a substitue for Sh*t? I think Friggin is a bad word too, becuase again a substitute for a worse word. I like nice original swear words like "Jeminy Crickets!" (that is your conscience, right?!) Or "Goodness sakes" Which isn't to say that I don't let a word fly now and again...but once your 3 yr old says crap to you, you realize you shouldn't be saying it anymore. My thougths.
Crap isn't to bad.
I heard some people use it.
My teacher used it once or twice.
I used it before.
Right mommy?
Love,?????
I'M YOUR STAR!!!!
Oh my gosh! We say crap all the time. Even my 11 (soon to be 12) year old says crap. I always thought it sounded better than sh*t which is the word my mom always used and of course we got smacked if we let it slip. :-) Anyway, I will remember your blog whenever it's my turn to empty the litter box...not only for my life but for my cat, Coffee.
Can I comment on comments? I love Kellys's pointing out the obvious--any word we don't want to hear our children saying we don't want to say. But Webkinz Lover was the most enlightening!
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