Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the things that have to be done all the time? For years, we’ve struggled with the fear of “out of sight = out of mind,” that we’ll forget to do something important if we don’t leave it out until it is complete. This is a very real thing, especially for many with ADHD. Those things pile up, and the unfinished tasks seem to call out, yammering for our attention wherever we look in a vicious cycle.
In recent months, however, God has been doing a lot to clear both our home and our minds. Among the things God used, there was a message by Pastor Joshua Becker, who shared from Luke 3:10-14, where John the Baptist had been preaching a hard message about what it takes to prepare the way for the Lord.
When asked what people should do, John told tax collectors to not over-collect, told soldiers to be content with their pay, and told anyone with two coats or extra food to give it away. This had obvious benefits to the poor and oppressed, but Pastor Becker pointed out that it also frees the giver from the grip of the world, and causes us to really wrestle with God over the decisions we make in our lives (including what we bring and keep in our homes). Though it is more convenient in the short-term to simply check religion boxes and move on to what we’d prefer to think about, God wants intimate, transformative interaction (Genesis 32:24-32).
Hebrews 12:1 says to throw off every entangling sin AND every “ogkos” (a word that gets translated as weight/encumbrance that slows/hinders). Ogkos isn’t sin, but it’s simply in the way of our running the race to the fullest. It isn’t a sin to enjoy the things God has provided for us, but everything we have has an ongoing cost in time, energy, space, and thought life. Giving things away has been an opportunity to bless others (and build relationships) and it has also freed us to run better and be available for the good works God has prepared!
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