Junk In My Trunk

How much junk do you have in your trunk? I bet, if you answered honestly, you’d find that you have TOO MUCH junk in your trunk.

I did a little cleaning before the race and discovered that there was enough adventure in my car trunk to give Narnia’s
closet a run for its money.

Here is a few of the treasures that were lurking in the back of my car:

A
pair of hockey ice skates. Drum sticks. One Converse All-Star shoe (not a pair,
just one). A Sham Wow. A random assortment of snow boots (not sure why. I live
in Nashville.) And…wait for it…wait for it…a bowling ball (I’ve been bowling,
perhaps, three times in my life.)

Yes,
I have a lot of ‘junk in my trunk.’

Speaking
of junk, recently, I had the opportunity to visit the largest trash dump in all
of Central America. What a unique experience that was as I watched families sort through the trash to find valuables. But it
got me thinking, how crazy is it that 100 years from now, everything we own will end up in a junkyard.

Everything!

Think
about it…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every material possession you
own will end up in a trash heap someday.

The
irony is most of us spend so much of our time and lives chasing after all that
‘stuff.’ Replace, upgrade, recycle. It’s like a never ending rat race for junk. 

I’m
not saying I don’t like stuff or don’t have stuff. In fact, I think God
gives us ‘stuff’ to enjoy. 

The
breakdown happens though when we assume enjoyment comes from spending that
stuff on ourselves. We think the more stuff we consume and get our hands
on, the happier we will be. 

But
God says no.

Holding onto stuff with closed hands will only lead to addiction, selfishness, emptiness, idols and greed.

Want joy?

Then God says spend it on others. Use your stuff as a means to love others. 

Listen to how Jesus put it: It’s better to give than to receive. – Acts 20:35 

Wow! I
think that is one of the craziest, most radical things Jesus ever said. 

I
don’t know about you but I’m pretty sure I spent most of my life motivated to
receive rather than give. I’d rather fill up my trunk with more junk. BUT I’M CHANGING!

I
want to believe Jesus crazy notion that I’m better off giving/sharing stuff
than consuming it. I no longer want to have stuff just to own it. I want to
have stuff because it serves people.

I
want you to make a mental list of what junk is going to end up in a trash
heap material possession is most valuable to you.

Now think of how
you can use it to serve others? How can you give more, host more or love more
with your stuff?

In
other words I want you to think of one practical way you can test Jesus’s crazy
notion that it’s better to give than to receive. Don’t just think it, share it.
Give yourself some accountability or nothing will happen.

Why does what
Jesus said feel so backwards and outrageous today? Also, what kind of literal
junk is in your trunk right now?

I know its a lot of questions but as always…lets
talk!