Leah and I had a long day yesterday, but we got a lot accomplished…yard mowed (me), garage cleaned out (me), rearranging living room (both of us), and cleaning out Lexi’s room (Leah).  At the end of the day we sat down to watch TV and turned on a show we had never seen before called, Hoarding: Buried Alive.  According to wikipedia, hoarding is “a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire (and failure to use or discard) a significant amount of possessions, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary.”  We could not stop watching the stories of these people whose lives had been ruined by their years of accumulating things.  While watching the show, I kept wondering why these people just didn’t clean up their house and move on with life, but with each story there was a significant or series of significant events which contributed to their hoarding behavior.  One lady shared how she had been raised by an very mean aunt who, at one point, took everything the girl owned and burned it in a barrel and made her watch.  This past experience caused her to cling tightly to the things she owned in the present.

Watching this show last night reminded me that our past experiences shape the person we become.  Although our past does not necessarily excuse our future actions, it does help explain why we do what we do.  Allow me to take this one step further.  I believe it is also important that we remain patient when a person struggles with behavior foreign to us.  Even though I do not struggle with hoarding, I am not better than the person who does struggle with it…I’ve got my own problems.

Those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ must learn to be patient with those who are in the process of changing because change is a lifelong process, not an overnight sensation.

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My eyes burst open and I quickly looked at the alarm clock on my nightstand; although I cannot remember the exact time, I’m certain the clock revealed that it was well after midnight. The sound of the front door opening had been enough to thrust me out of sleep and into ninja mode (whatever that is). Most people would have sprung out of bed, but not me. Still half asleep and lying in bed, I slapped both of my arms down on either side of me as if to brace myself for what was about to happen. Listening more intently to the sounds coming from downstairs, I then heard the pitter-patter of my dog’s paws walking through the hallway. “Great,” I thought. “The thieves had broken into my house and were now taking my dog captive. They must have muzzled her, though, because I never heard her bark.” As all these thoughts were running through my mind, I glanced over in order to see if my wife was hearing what I was hearing; however, she was not there. I then became extremely alarmed because I would normally send her downstairs to check out any unfamiliar noises. Who was going to do it now? Gradually, I came to my senses and realized that the reason my wife was not in bed was due to the fact that she was letting the dog out to use the bathroom.

The mind has a tendency to play tricks on a person, especially those who are absorbed with guilt. The wisdom writer reminds his readers of this truth when he says, “the wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions” (Proverbs 28:1). Hidden sin and unresolved conflict can result in a person living their life in fear of getting caught, even when no one else may know what they have done. A guilty conscience tends to have a misconstrued view of reality, while the clear conscience can experience a life of freedom. I think I’d rather spend my days being bold as a lion instead of feeling as if I am being chased by them. How about you?

Here in Ohio we have trash stalkers, at least that is what I call them. Trash stalkers are people who spend their evenings/nights stealthily cruising through neighborhoods on the eve of trash day in hopes of finding treasure in someone else’s curbside junk. On more than one occasion, I have personally spoken to one of these stalkers because there must be an unwritten rule that if they get caught digging through your trash, they must ask for permission to assume ownership of it. They typically say something like, “Is it okay with you if I take this?” Since I have an insatiable desire for sarcasm, I am tempted to respond by saying, “No you can’t. That tricycle with only one wheel is going to be used for a lawn ornament.” In reality though, I usually panic when they stop at my house thinking that I possibly chucked something of unrecognizable value or maybe the mirror I am tossing out contains an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind the glass. I really do not want to end up in national headlines as the idiot who threw away thousands of dollars in his trash because he was blind to an item’s true value.

After spending more than a decade investing in the lives of others, I’m convinced that many people are guilty of throwing away things which they no longer view as valuable, even though it still holds great value; although, I do realize that some repair may be needed to restore full value to certain things. Most of the time, something which was once valuable only became trash because of improper care.

Ants were not meant to live in homes, especially mine; but for some reason, ants enjoy the comfy confines of our household. Every single year, usually around this time, we spot those tiny little insects roaming the kitchen and bathroom floor as if they owned the place and although they seem to be oblivious to our presence, we always notice them. I must be honest. I step on the ants. I’m sorry if you are offended by my inhumane actions, but I do. Sometimes I even do the squash and twist to make sure they are dead. The frustrating thing is that even though I’ve put countless ants to death, they keep coming back. I cannot get rid of them. My non-scientific reasoning for failing to exterminate the ants is that I have yet to discover where they are entering; in reality, I could continue killing ants all day long without ever completely eliminating them. I guess my time would be better spent in finding the unguarded source.

Sound familiar? Many people will spend much time and energy trying to correct unwanted behavior (killing ants) instead of facing the real source of their actions. The wise writer of Proverbs says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (Proverbs 4:23). When a person’s heart is not guarded by truth and righteousness, wrong behavior will be repeated. Do you ever wonder why you keep looking at porn, continue rising up in anger, or run from the things God wants you to do? And is the real answer found in purity software (which I’m not against), counting to 10 and taking a deep breath, or making deals with God?

Maybe it’s time for you to quit killing ants and begin protecting the place where they are entering.

In case you missed it, read yesterday’s post entitled “One Pastor’s Struggle.”

During the month of November and December I usually take an alternative route to and from work. The main roads to our house are inevitably cluttered with lots of holiday traffic and I like to avoid being on the receiving end of road rage or the infamous middle finger…so much for holiday cheer! Instead of being right in the middle of all that, I prefer taking the scenic, “back way” which leads me through a couple neighborhoods, a beautiful park, tree-lined streets, and finally to my destination. It is pretty peaceful and only takes me an additional 4-5 minutes. This morning, however, was not so peaceful. Four minutes into my drive I found myself cutting through neighborhood #2 trying my best to drive the speed limit because my worst nightmare is hitting some kid who runs out into the street retrieving a ball. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something perched on top of a medium sized rock (no, it wasn’t a child) and as I got closer I noticed it was a squirrel. No problem. I was going the speed limit of 25mph, but all the sudden this little squirrel started running into my path. It didn’t even have that last minute hesitation typically evidenced by most normal-minded squirrels when they realize they are in the path of something a thousand times their size. Stupid squirrel! It left me no reaction time to swerve. I simply felt a direct hit bump and then I gave a courtesy look in my rearview mirror. Yep…it was dead. For a minute or so, I felt bad that there was one less squirrel in the world.Some of you have recently changed the course of your life. You made a decision to transform your old habits and lifestyle to be in line with God’s ways, but the new path you are on has presented you with countless challenges. Many times we envision that a commitment to change brings along happiness, peace, and a life without difficulty; however, a resolution to change generally means disappointment, pain, and struggle. Don’t get me wrong…transformation is worth the effort, but the track to change is often filled with hurdles. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah offers us hope through his own struggles with disappointment saying, “The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Although you may not feel as if hope is in sight, remember that each day offers a new opportunity to receive God’s mercy. The past is gone and cannot be changed. Begin again today.

Many moons ago, I used to be quite a bit skinner than I am now. Over the last several months I have come across some “old pictures” and willingly admit that there has been a definite change in my weight. I always laugh it off and chalk it up to getting older and my fast-paced lifestyle. If I can be transparent for a minute, I really would like to shed a few of those extra pounds because I know that maintaining a healthy weight will contribute to my overall quality of life. There have even been a couple times over the last several years that I have actually taken steps to lose weight; however, each time I find myself slipping right back into bad habits. So, I decided to contact Richard Simmons and he has agreed to be my personal trainer for the next six months. Just kidding. I know you would have been jealous. I’ve asked myself over and over, “why can’t I change this evident problem?” Each time I arrive at numerous conclusions about my repeated failures. First, I have deceived myself into thinking I am fine especially when I compare myself to others. Secondly, I believe I can handle things on my own without the help of others. Last, I know I will just fail again. These excuses are deja vu because they are the same ones we use concerning spiritual transformation. We think everything is fine the way it is. We don’t want to admit our helplessness to God or even enlist others to support us in our spiritual journey. We quit trying to change because we are certain of looming failure right around the corner. What causes us to buy into these lies? Wrong thinking. If God’s Word shapes our thinking, we will stop comparing ourselves to others and God will be our example for living. God’s Word will then expose our helplessness and drive us to our knees in prayer. This recognition will also cause us to be transparent with others and ask for their accountability in our daily attitudes and actions. The last lie is a little more complicated to defeat because failure is a constant struggle for the follower of Christ. Although failure is inevitable, we should never give up or retreat. We must be brave enough to face these struggles head on and depend on God to provide the strength for us to endure. Maybe you have quit trying to change because of so many failed attempts. Pick up the pieces and start again. The writer in Proverbs reminds us that “a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again…” (Proverbs 24:16).

Most of my life has been spent living in the south. At the age of seven, my family moved from Ohio to South Carolina. After being there for a couple years we moved to North Carolina, which I still refer to as God’s country. I loved living in North Carolina and really enjoy visiting there every once in while to eat real barbeque! Can I get a witness?! Following high school I moved to Florida and spent the next six years working on college degrees. I actually wasn’t to keen on Florida…at least the part in which I lived. Upon completion of my degree, I moved back to Ohio and have been working in this area for the last ten years. As I mentioned before – I really miss the south, but there is one thing about the north that I enjoy. It is not snow – that would make me an idiot! Those people who love snow probably have someone plowing their driveway when it is loaded with very wet snow…the kind that makes you have excruciating back pain and makes you also wish you were dead! I’m not bitter.

Change. I have learned to welcome the change of seasons in this part of the United States. Fall has to be one of my favorites – minus the leaf raking. I find that as each season comes to an end, I am ready for the next one to begin. Come to think of it, our lives are also full of change. One thing comes to an end and we begin a new journey. Instead of resisting change, welcome it with welcome arms. Embrace it as an opportunity to grow. View change as an agent to help you experience new heights in life.

This afternoon yielded some free time for me so I decided to cut the grass. Maybe I’m weird, but I actually enjoy time spent listening to the hum of my mower and attempting to make obsessive-compulsive straight lines in the grass. About half way through the front yard something jumped up from the grass which caused me to instinctively kick up my right foot in case it was 1) a snake, 2) a mouse, 3) a massive flying object which may have the potential to sting, or 4) anything which I have not mentioned above but has the potential to take off my right foot. I didn’t shut off the mower immediately in case I had to use it as a weapon, but when I finally looked down to the ground my eye barely made out a rather large toad. Mentally I tried to recall if toads could be poisonous, but thinking through all the episodes of The Crocodile Hunter I honestly could not remember. Then the thought hit me…that thing would have made a huge mess if I had run over it. Then I started asking the deeper questions – where did that toad come from? It literally came out of nowhere. Like I said before, when I am mowing I really keep an eye on what is in front of me to make sure my lines are straight. The problem was that the toad blended in perfectly with its surroundings. In the wild, this is a good thing for a toad since they can disguise themselves from would-be predators; however, a toad is no match for my whirling blade!

So, when does blending in with your surroundings become dangerous? For the follower of Christ, blending in means that you do your best not to be noticed. Furthermore, blending in is a pursuit to adapt the values of the culture so as not to be labeled weird or different. It is dangerous when the church winks at sin and abuses the very grace given by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about the need to be different…the pursuit of new behavior in their daily lives. Ephesians 4 reveals his powerful words. Instead of lying, tell the truth (4:25). Be angry at the right things, but never let it continue until the next day (4:26). Don’t take something which is not yours, but work hard to earn the money to pay for it (4:28). Use your words to build people up instead of using them to destroy (4:29). Learn to obey God’s truth so you do not disappoint Him (4:30). “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour [fighting], and evil speaking, be put away from you” (4:31). “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (4:32). Being a follower of Christ costs us something…our identity. We no longer attempt to blend in with the value system of the world, but our attitudes and actions cause us to be identified with Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).