“Therefore, thus says the Lord, “If you return, then I will restore you—Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them.” Jeremiah 15:19
Recently, this verse has shaken me to the core. It has challenged me to look at the worthless things I think about and on which I spend my time and energy. The word worthless literally means having no value.
Do I really think about and spend my time on things that have no value?
Unfortunately, sometimes it can be hard to determine what’s valuable? I find it interesting to watch some of the new reality shows like Hoarders and American Pickers. I really enjoy watching American Pickers. I love when they find something valuable in the most unexpected place. But, I have to be honest, I really do not like watching Hoarders. The show just makes me ill. It's hard to believe that people can collect and store so much garbage. The most disturbing part of the show is when the hoarder explains why they have kept all of the garbage in their homes. They argue that the garbage had become valuable to them. Really, garbage became valuable?
Recently, through cleaning out a closet, I learned what a true hoarder of worthless things I can be. I found things I had saved which I thought were valuable. Some things were saved because of sentimental value and some things were saved because I thought they may have monetary value. Due to a need to free up space, I had to reevaluate if things were truly valuable. Needless to say, many garbage bags were filled. As I filled bag after bag, I kept asking myself, “How did I let it get this way?”
A closet is one thing, but how did the things I spend my time thinking about and energy on become so laden with the worthless? I had become a hoarder of the worthless in my thoughts, time and energy. Again, the question probed my very being, “How did I let it get this way?”
The difference between a hoarder and a picker is a hoarder just collects and stores stuff, usually secretely, while a picker carefully chooses what is valuable.
"How did I become a hoarder instead of a picker?"
I received some insight on this question from Jeremiah 15:15-18. Jeremiah had been chosen by God to deliver pleas of repentance to the people of Judah and Israel. The people continuously rejected both him and his pleas. His messages were received as doom and gloom and not as a means of renewal and hope. The rejection had taken its toll on Jeremiah. We find him in Jeremiah 15 offering up a prayer of desperation to God. In his prayer, he questions God’s faithfulness.
The difference between a hoarder and a picker is a hoarder just collects and stores stuff, usually secretely, while a picker carefully chooses what is valuable.
"How did I become a hoarder instead of a picker?"
I received some insight on this question from Jeremiah 15:15-18. Jeremiah had been chosen by God to deliver pleas of repentance to the people of Judah and Israel. The people continuously rejected both him and his pleas. His messages were received as doom and gloom and not as a means of renewal and hope. The rejection had taken its toll on Jeremiah. We find him in Jeremiah 15 offering up a prayer of desperation to God. In his prayer, he questions God’s faithfulness.
How did Jeremiah become so skewed in His view of God? We see two things in Jeremiah 15:15-18 that led up to Jeremiah’s questioning of God’s faithfulness. First, Jeremiah had removed his thoughts and energy from God and focused them on himself. In just 4 verses, Jeremiah makes reference to himself 18 times. Undoubtedly, focusing on ourselves will consume our time and energy with worthless things. The more I think about what is comfortable and safe for me, the more likely I am to pursue thoughts and things that will only try to fill worthless desires with worthless things.
I can walk around my house thinking about what I wished I could have or change. I can look at the covers of fashion magazines in the checkout line at the grocery store and easily be pulled into a self-image that is neither realistic or concerned with inner beauty. I can feel the pressure to make sure I am being super-wife, super-mom, super-friend, super…to everyone around me. My "I" can consume me with worthless thoughts, attitudes and actions.
Secondly, Jeremiah focused on the people’s response more than on God’s response. If I allow others, especially their response to who God has called me to be and what He wants me to do, to determine what’s valuable in my life, I am certain to have a closet full of worthless thoughts and things in my life. As soon as we try to fill one of their desires another will be waiting to be filled.
In contrast, living our lives to please God will satisfy us with the valuable. It’s only through living to please God we can actually determine what is beneficial to ourselves and to others.
So, like me, have you secretely been collecting and storing worthless thoughts, attitudes and things in your life? If so, I ask you to join me in repenting of these things by replacing them with the valuable.
Next week, I’ll be posting about how we can become pickers of the valuable instead of hoarders of the worthless.
Next week, I’ll be posting about how we can become pickers of the valuable instead of hoarders of the worthless.
I hope today’s post has been both challenging and encouraging to you. If so, I would love to hear from you.
Sweet Blessings!
Tammy
