Skeletons In Your Closet: Confronting Your Past

Have you ever heard that saying about the skeletons in your closet? "Don't talk about other people's problems because you have your very own skeletons in your closet!" That is the one I am talking about. I would say this often growing up when I would see people in church stick up their noses and think badly on the body of Christ because one of their brothers/sisters in Christ sinned. I would get angry with those people because I knew certain things about them that was far worse than anything they were judging about. I myself was not letting those people live in forgiveness, because I was not willing to forget what they had done. I wanted to hold their feet in the fire and keep it over their head so that when they felt like accusing, I could deliver justice... I just happened to disguise this feeling in my life with the phrase and would remind them at the opportune moment about their "skeletons in the closet."


The skeletons in your closet can take the form of anything that has happened in your past. Past relationships... past mistakes... past regrets.... anything. But what these all have in common is the word PAST.  These "skeletons" hide in the back of your brain and just when God starts taking you somewhere in your life and you begin to grow spiritually, you remember that your closet is full of these "skeletons" and that becomes a stronghold in your life. You blame everything on these skeletons.


Well I have news for you..... It's time to clean out the closet! Asking for forgiveness from Jesus Christ, who took the place of every sin that you committed and every skeleton that you have collected releases you from that stronghold. You don't have to live your life anymore with the remembrance of your sins, because Jesus took it instead. Every time that we admit that we sinned and ask for forgiveness, our closet is cleaned out. Jesus takes all the junk out, dusts, vacuum's, and even puts a new light in there. Because all things are new.

Let us not be so distracted by other people's sins that we can not forgive or forget what they have done. Let us lead them to Jesus so that they can continually get a "spring cleaning" in their closet and live the life that God has destined for them to live. Take the time today to think to your closet and allow Jesus to come inside and take the place of those skeletons, let God clean it out and restore it to its sinless state. Make your closet into a secret place where God would want to spend time with you, not be crowded by the sins that you refuse to let go. Let Him take you where you are meant to be...

Lord, thank you for this word that you have given us. I thank you that it is a timely word and that you are speaking to hearts and souls. I ask that you help every person reading this begin to clean out their closets. That they would be able to truly be forgiven from their past mistakes, regrets, failures... so that all is left is a secret place where you desire to spend time with them. Help us to not remind our brothers and sisters in Christ of their skeletons, but that we will truly begin to forgive and forget so that we will not be hindered from what you have for us.  Amen

Selfishness

Today I was sitting in my room thinking about my life, my friends, my work, what I will do next.... when I realized that selfishness had made its way into my life and I thought, why am I so selfish? The majority of people today struggle with selfishness and they don't even realize it is a bad thing. I am so tired of seeing the world only thinking about themselves. And I know that I have been just as guilty as everyone else in this subject. When did we come to this point in our life that "ME" was all that mattered? Have we truly forgotten what is important in this world? Are we so prideful that we can not humble ourselves enough to think about someone else and how it will affect them? Most people in the world just don't realize that all the things on this earth mean something that is so very small in the view of eternity. In Philippians 3:8, the apostle Paul wrote about how little everything else means when you put it next to Jesus. That knowing Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior makes everything else in your life considered garbage. That is a very bold statement to make, but a very true statement still. When you are on your deathbed someday, you aren't going to ask for the title of your car, or your favorite pair of shoes... so why does it matter so much now?


I know of a family where selfishness had tainted the relationship they had. This family was very close and even though they were all living their own lives, they loved each other enough to call and spend time together as much as possible. However, a person in this family had selfish tendencies and though sometimes, it didn't seem that bad, this time it was a disaster. For the opportunity at a chance for fame and fortune, this person strained their relationship. What a high price to pay for the possibility, not even the guarantee, of being a part of the fame and fortune.


Though many people don't deal with the degree of selfishness that this person, we all deal with some degree or form of it.  We can choose the happiness and convenience of ourselves over the happiness and convenience of others. I decide to make the decision today to quit my selfish tendencies and begin to think more about what I can do for other people rather than what I can do for myself. We all end up happier after we help someone else don't we? :)


Lord, thank you for the living word that you have given us so that we may learn to be more like you everyday. I ask that you work in every life that is reading this and that you will help defeat this mindset of selfishness. That we will think more about what we can do for others rather than what we can do for ourselves. Because if you had come to this earth thinking about You more than us, we would be forever lost. Thank you for dying on the cross so that we may join you in Heaven one day. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Jesus

Jesus... wow. What a beautiful name. Just the thought of God sending his only son to save mankind is enough to send shivers down you back and promsie that you will never again fall into that death trap known as sin. Even when things don't always seem right, simply speaking the name of Jesus into existence in the midst of your situation turns everything around. I don't know if the human race will ever be able to truly grasp what calvary really meant. I am just thankful to God above that one day in heaven, all of this will become so clear to each of us.


When you begin to put Jesus first in your life, everything else begins to fall into place. If Jesus put us in the same rank in his life as we put him in our lives, what would be different in our lives. Everyone (including me sometimes) wants Jesus to always fix every problem instantly exactly the way that they want it to be fixed and yet, they cant even give the God who created everything in existence 10 minutes out of their day to at least thank Him for all that he has done previously. Humans in general are too busy with everything else that they don't even realize what really matters in all of eternity. It doesn't matter how much money you have or the clothes that you wear... people are the only thing getting to heaven from this earth. Yet we lie, cheat, steal, gossip about one another even when they are the most important people in the world to us. We need to start getting our priorities in order and get them in order fast because Jesus is coming back to take His bride.


Lord, grant us all the wisdom and understanding to realize what you have truly done for every one of us. That we may learn to better serve you and to live a life pleasing to you. Everything is truly about you and only you after all. Thank you for helping us to set our priorities in our life in the correct order that we will not waste our time with meaningless materials.


Amen