“Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Says 2 Corintians 5:17. As we embark upon the fall season, I am reminded of our surroundings and the changes that take place at this time of year. Kids go back to school. They leave the previous year behind them to continue growing. Trees lose their leaves in hopes of producing more come spring time. Our surroundings are saying goodbye to the things of old, only to welcome the new. My question for you today is this, “What are you giving up? What in your life are you letting die?”
The answers to this question vary from abusive relationships and sinful addictions to things that maybe shouldn’t be dying like your love for a spouse of close friend or prayer life. I have come to a realization recently that most things in life are an exchange of one for the other. It says in Mathew 6:24 Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Money is given as an example of this)”
There is a story by Rob Bell of a boy walking on the beach collecting broken sea shells. His hands are full of broken pieces of once living sea life, when he comes upon a rock with a large starfish on it. Instead of running toward the starfish and taking it, he simply looks dismayed. When his parents ask what is wrong and why he doesn’t go get the starfish, he begins to cry, “My hands are full of sea shells and I can’t pick it up. Is this not a perfect illustration of our lives? Many times we are too busy picking up shells or those meaningless tasks or wants in our lives that when we come across a divine opportunity, we hesitate. We have to exchange all of our little dead shells for the living starfish. Is it worth giving up? Are the things that we hold on to (the things that we consider so alive and the things that we think will benefit our future) alive? Maybe for a little bit they are. But God is eternal! God is everlasting! He is the starfish in our lives! I pray this week that you will recognize the sea shells in your life and you will leave them behind to pursue an eternal and living treasure, a life worthy of the calling of God.
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