Throw Out the Junk

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:5-14

“Grandpa, I get to stay up till after midnight!” Mallory said as she told her grandfather about the New Year’s Eve party her friend was having. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.”

“Sounds great,” said Grandpa. His eyes twinkled. “Have I ever told you about the New Year’s Eve celebrations my great-grandfather had when he was a boy back in Italy?”

Mallory shook her head. “Did they have a parade or something?”

“Yes, and fireworks too,” Grandpa said. “But what happened later that night was the most interesting part of the whole celebration.” He grinned at Mallory. “My grandfather told me about it. He said his dad told him that as midnight approached, people gathered up all their junk—boxes, old clothes, worn out tools or toys, and whatever else they wanted to get rid of. There was a New Year’s Eve custom of throwing out the old to make way for the new, so they simply tossed the old stuff out the windows.”

Mallory laughed. “Did they really do that?” she asked. “I guess it would be one way for them to get rid of all their old junk, but I’d sure hate to be the street cleaner the next day!”

“Me too,” Grandpa agreed, and the two of them chuckled as they talked about what things they might toss out the window. “I think Christians could learn a lesson from that custom,” Grandpa said. “The Bible says we’re new people when we know Jesus and that we should have new attitudes and behavior. But sometimes we seem to take on Christian habits—like praying, going to church, or telling others about Jesus—without getting rid of our old, sinful habits. To grow spiritually as we should, we need to get rid of the ‘old junk.’”

Mallory nodded thoughtfully. “Like…even though I made a New Year’s resolution to be nicer to my brothers, first I need to get rid of the mean way I treat them when I get angry at them?”

“Exactly!” Grandpa smiled. “Let’s both make a list of some of the junk we need to confess to Jesus and throw out—not out of the window, but out of our lives.” Sherry L. Kuyt

How About You?

Is there junk in your life—bad habits or sins that you need to get rid of? Are there mean thoughts or words or a bad, selfish attitude that doesn’t fit with the new person Jesus has made you to be? This is a great time of year to throw that junk out. Whatever sin there is in your life, confess it to Jesus. Trust Him to get rid of it and make room for the new you.

Today’s Key Verse:
Colossians 3:9-10 You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Get rid of sinful habits