God, Grace and Garbage

We all accumulate various forms of stinking trash: emotional, physical, financial, relational or spiritual. These unwanted, neglected or unnecessary things can be overwhelming, but we have hope in the words from a story Jesus shared in Luke 13:6-9.

“Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’”

– Luke 13:7 NKJV

Just as the vinedresser gave the tree another chance to bear fruit, God provides us with opportunities to clean up our lives and bear good fruit. His grace is abundant even when we feel surrounded by the stench of life’s refuse.

Our Heavenly Father is a God of renewal and transformation.

No matter what your garbage looks like – whether it’s the emotional refuse of past wounds, the physical trash of unhealthy habits, financial waste from unwise decisions, neglected relationships or spiritual detritus of unbelief and fear – your Heavenly Father is able to remove it all and make you new.

This journey may be hard, but remember, no trash is so stinking that it cannot be cleaned up with God’s help. God promises, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV). This is the essence of God’s redemptive work, removing the stinking trash from our lives and replacing it with His Spirit.

Today’s One Thing

So, today, decide to take out the trash. Identify an aspect of your life that feels like stinking, unwanted trash. Turn it over to God in prayer, seeking His strength and wisdom to make the necessary changes. Regularly immerse yourself in His Word, allowing it to wash over you and cleanse your life.

Go Deeper

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