Joshua 7:10–13 ‘That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you any more unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.’ (v12)
There are demands the Christian life places upon us. In seeking to obey and serve God through our lives we are requested to pay close attention to every area and note our motivations, attitudes and activities.
Indeed, one reason we may find it a challenge to make time for God is because we accumulate so many other interests and so lose sight of Jesus, who is constantly on the move (John 3:8).
This is why we are called to follow Him, which we can only do for as long as our full attention is directed towards Him.
As Israel discovered on entering the Promised Land, distractions are often the source of disobedience, and carry consequences. The smallest of idols, no matter how well hidden, will always undermine our best attempts faithfully to follow God.
God’s response was to invite the Israelites to declutter their lives. Whenever they searched for surplus idols their resolve and capacity to live God’s way in God’s world decreased. There is a principle we can all relate to; the heavier the load the more tiring our journey.
As disciples we are instructed to adopt the simple way modelled by Jesus. It is during our ongoing conversation with God that the Spirit can advise us what is surplus to requirement in actively following Jesus.
This is the decluttering that we ignore to our disadvantage, both in this world and through eternity. It requires courage, commitment and action. Failure in this area leads to faith stagnation.
SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Jonah 2; Isa. 45:15–25; Luke 10:1–21; 1 Cor. 10:1–14.
AN ACTION TO TAKE: Give some thought to where the clutter is in your life. Are there things you need to deal with?
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, may I remain vigilant and remove all idols from my life. Amen.’
