I wanted to make some changes here at the house. My husband? Not as much. But once I layed out my vision and assured him it would cost next to nothing, he got on board. Then we got to work. We began by rearranging some furniture and purging and organizing a couple of closets. Well, that just lit my fire. I decided next I needed to clean out my dresser drawers and my computer/work space and our filing cabinet and our linen closet. Three weeks later and we MAY have come to a reasonable stopping point. I say MAY because now I see some spots on walls and baseboards that need touch up paint and so on.
During these three weeks, I walked into several rooms and tried to think completely outside the box about the space. This took some imagination since we have lived in this house for 16 years now and many things sit in much the same place they did then. Over those years we have replaced furniture and freshened bedspreads and curtains, but I can’t honestly say we gave any thought to moving things around. And I have to tell you, some of the things we did 15 years ago, don’t make a whole lot of sense anymore. When our daughter with special needs was small, we made some very necessary decisions to keep some things under lock and key for her safety and our sanity. And while we still have to keep some of those considerations, by simply choosing to look at things differently we definitely streamlined and simplified our space.
In light of the John MacArthur/ Beth Moore kerfuffle that’s been in the media of late, I think it might be time to look at some other things, in addition to my closets, in a new light. I don’t want to go into the whole thing here because it wasn’t glorifying to God (and didn’t make Christ followers look too good either). You have google and can find videos and quotes and comments galore if you choose. My point is, when it comes to matters of our faith, the stakes are too high to just maintain the status quo. We can’t just continue to do things because that’s the way they have always been done. And we can’t continue to believe things just because that’s what we were taught.
We owe it to our own faith and our witness to the Creator to constantly hold up what we are taught and what we believe against the words in God’s Holy Bible. And as beneficial as good books and preaching can be, we can’t simply take the word of others as gold. We have to take the time to study for ourselves. Read the ancient scriptures and then read commentaries (here‘s one I love) and study notes and look up the words in their original language (blueletterbible.org is a great free tool to help with this). The older we grow in our faith, the more we should grow in assurance from study and prayer. Let’s test our faith. We will make it stronger, and maybe find out some things need to be rearranged.
And that lasso? I left it in my linen closet as a sweet reminder of my daughter’s horse themed 5th birthday party. Not EVERYTHING needs to change.
2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 1 Peter 2:2 NLT
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Hi Lauren,
I’m just stopping by to say hi. I had to google the kerfuffle as I didn’t know. Um, no, I don’t have a lasso in my linen closet, but I have plenty of other things! : )
Liberty @ B4andAfters.com
Hi Liberty! Thanks for stopping by!
I’d keep the lasso, too! Absolute truth here… God’s truth never changes, not even when we think it has gone out of style! Blessings!
You are absolutely right, Liz. I hope my post didn’t come across as anything otherwise. God’s Word never changes, but we need to make sure we know what it says not just what others say it says!
Yes, we definitely need to be in charge of our own faith growth, Lauren, by going to the Word itself, and not simply accepting another’s point of view. God is always rearranging things for the better if we let Him.
Blessings!
Yes. Just my point, Martha. Thanks so much.
Hi Lauren,
Well, you roped me in with the title – a winner! And, wonderful thoughts too. Joining you from Faith On Faith. God Bless!
Oh, I see what you did there Sandra. Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
I enjoyed that very much. I’ll be sharing.
Thank you, Trevor.
Interesting twist on the kerfuffle. We can get tied up literally in the in significant or the traditional and loss sight of what God has said and is continuing to say. God’s word is what we should be linked up with.
Absolutely my point, Calvonia. Thank you so much for weighing in.
Grieved my heart with the kerfuffle. May I never do anything to make Christians look bad! And I mover furniture on a regular basis. So refreshing to my spirit! (:
Grieved me as well, Sue. And I can totally see how a fresh look around the house could be invigorating!
Stopping by from the S & L link-up! Love the lasso point. I’m a purger and sometimes go too far the other direction. I cling to memories and I probably wouldn’t have saved the lasso, but I totally get why you do… From one formerTexan/mom/nana/faithblogger to another, I’m happy to meet you!
Happy to meet you too, Vickie. To chuck or not to chunk is often a dilemma for me.
Oh Lauren, PLEASE come to my house and help me get started cleaning it out. We have lived here for 30+ years and are talking about downsizing, but first, we have to clean out some of the junk!
I read about the Beth Moore “kerfluffle” with interest too and quickly came to the same conclusion as you. Our understanding of God’s word needs to grow and change as we mature.
It is insane how much stuff we can accumulate, isn’t it?
Lauren, such a great message and parallel. Some things do need refreshing and revamping in life and spirituality and other things are best left unchanged. And yes, the lasso in your linen closet is a great memento and reminder of this message! Thanks so much for linking up with me.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Thanks, Shelbee!
Lauren, hi! I’m hearing you at both levels … the re-imagining our our home spaces and the way we do life together in spiritual community.
May we be encouragers always of each other’s gifts …
Bless you on this cloudy Sunday afternoon.
Being encouragers of each other’s gifts. That is a beautiful way to put it, Linda. Thank you.
I have twine and string in my linen closet. But not a lasso. LOL You title caught my attention.
What a beautiful message. We need to know what we believe and be a good witness for others. Sometimes these skirmishes make us look so unattractive as Christians. May we do a better job of representing God.
Amen, Theresa. Thanks for reading and joining the conversation.
Oh what a sweet reminder to keep in your linen closet. Sometimes after the Grandkids leave, I just can’t bear to have those little finger smudges cleaned off the windows, since it’s a sweet reminder for me too. But those old ways of thinking that don’t line up with the Truth of Scripture? Well they sure need to have the smudges cleaned away. Thanks for these great thoughts today!
Thanks for going there with me today, Bettie.
Lauren, I totally agree, “We owe it to our own faith and our witness to the Creator to constantly hold up what we are taught and what we believe against the words in God’s Holy Bible.” God’s Word is the measuring stick for life!
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
The measuring stick – yes! Thanks, Patsy.
I appreciate your insights and gentle encouragement here, Lauren. We don’t have to keep everything in our closet if it’s no longer useful or true to what we know (physically or spiritually!). Thanks for your courage to share.
Thank you for your encouragement to me, Lisa.
Hey, Lauren, this was great! We’re in the midst of downsizing, but years ago we learned that cleaning out a closet can easily lead to a remodel. I love your analogy to do periodic spiritual check-ups, too. I recently reflected on our son’s spiritual rebellion, saying your religion doesn’t fit me. And that’s probably true. I’m sure I said something similar to my parents. But, here’s the thing, like your lasso, somethings will never change for me. Jesus will always be the living Son of God who shed His blood so that I may live. The Bible translations, the hymns, and even how a pastor dresses may change, but what I’ve based my faith on won’t. Thanks and blessings for sharing!
Now that will preach, Alice. Thanks so much for adding your words to mine.