Jesus, Mickey Mouse & Tom Brady: Give It All Away!

Have you ever given something away and then really wished you had it back? Maybe accidentally donated something you really loved? Do you have problems getting rid of things in general? I know I do, especially with clothes. I am going to share something with you now that not many people see, my closet...it's actually a room.

Yes I know,

it's a bit ridiculous. (Especially when you know there is a full closet behind that too, wink wink). There is always that thought that I might have need of that discarded item of clothing someday. Now I love clothes and I usually spend very little money on them but we are not really going to talk about clothes today. We are actually going to talk about how we do this with our thoughts and burdens. I know I like to hold on to things mentally just in case I can use it, and most of the time not in good and healthy ways. These thoughts and burdens stack up and make a mess out of my brain and emotions. It is like the show hoarders inside of my brain.

The mess makes me weary and burdened.

Hey, those are Bible words!! Matthew 11:28 tells us if we are weary and burdened to go to Jesus and He will give us rest. But in order for Jesus to give us this rest we have to release everything over to Him. This isn't so easy for my mental-hoarding self. I doubt God's power and want to rely on myself to figure out the situation. I want to hang on to the slight against me, that juicy piece of gossip, and the bad things I think about myself. I create huge mountains of junk and trash that suffocate me from the inside out.

"Come to me...and I will give you rest," Jesus says. Jesus gives us a way out of our hoarding tendencies. He is the Goodwill of our burdens, cares and junk thoughts. We can give it all away. And best of all, Jesus isn't picky. He doesn't care how ugly, broken, or stained our mental stuff is. He wants it all!!!! There is no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed. Just drop your junk at the feet of Jesus, let Him take it all and leave it with Him.

Wait a minute!!! Here's the trick. Don't go back. But what if it is my pretty antique vase my Grandmother gave me? (Just turn that into whatever thought, sin or grievance you want to go back and retrieve.) Nope, we need to leave it with God. We need to trust in His power and goodness.

Can we do this perfectly? Of course not! We will sneak back in and take things back from God because we think we know better. That will not give us the rest we are seeking. God knows this and He is ready and willing to receive it again when we are amiable to give it back to Him.

This seems like an endless circle if we keep taking things back from God.

God wants to lead us through the process of letting go. He wants us to participate in these unforced rhythms of grace. We don't have to build an ice castle and isolate ourselves like Elsa.

We have someone who wants to hold our hand and help us through.