Devotion: The Junk in Our Trunks

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” ~Louise Smith

I have two huge bags of books in the trunk of my car. They have been there for over a year. I’ve been meaning to donate them, but I keep forgetting they’re there–until I open my trunk to put something else in it and am reminded there’s no room unless I take all the books back out.

I have too much junk in my trunk.

Every once in awhile, I move the books out of the trunk to make room when we travel; however, they always make their way back because there is just no room for them anywhere else. These books of mine have become a burden; they are unnecessary clutter and have become one more thing I need to let go of.

As I was praying the other day, God showed me how our hearts can be similar to the trunks of our cars. They will be filled with what we choose to put in them.

Hurt, offense, and even our own mistakes can fill us up, just like those pesky books in my trunk, and they become clutter in our hearts and minds if we don’t figure out how to let them go.

What do we do with hurtful words we have spoken or that have been spoken to us?

What about when we discover we have been lied to by someone we love?

What happens when we make a mistake that we desperately regret?

These kinds of things come into our hearts, put down roots, and stay awhile. They fill us with pain, anger, doubt, confusion, frustration, and sadness. These hurts and offenses create chaos instead of peace, they diminish our joy, and can even cause us to lose hope. Peace, joy, and hope are all things God wants us to have in abundance, but there is no room for them when we are full of the wrong stuff. Holding on to all the ways we have been wronged or the ways we have wronged others does nothing but put junk in our trunks.

The only way to make room for the good is to get rid of the bad. God asks us to come to him and lay all our burdens down. If we do, he promises, he will gladly take them from us and give us rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV).

Letting go of our hurts and offenses isn’t letting anyone off the hook for their actions–it’s making room for God to come in, clean out the junk in our trunks, and fill us with his blessings instead.

So how do we truly let go of all the junk weighing us down, hand it all over to God, and embrace his blessings? Genuine grace and forgiveness. Every single time. It isn’t always easy, but it is worth it. I promise you. It is so worth it.

Just think about how good it feels when we purge all the things that have been weighing us down. So good. Let’s boldly take God up on his offer to carry our heavy burdens in exchange for his abundant blessings.

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I think today is the perfect day for me to finally donate all those books and empty the junk in my own trunk.

Lord, thank you for reminding us that you are always here to lighten our burdens and give us rest. Help us loosen our grip on the hurts and offenses that have taken up space in our hearts, and teach us how to hand them back to you. You have given us the perfect example of undeserved grace and forgiveness in your Son, Jesus Christ, and may we look to him as we learn how to let go of our junk to make room for your abundant blessings. Amen. 

Scriptures for Reflection

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 KJV)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22 NIV)

Reach for More

This week’s challenge is twofold. First, find a cluttered spot in your home, and make it your mission to clean out all the junk. It can be as small as the kitchen junk drawer or as big your bedroom closet. Once you are done, revel in how good it feels to get rid of the junk that was taking up space in your life. Second, think about someone who has hurt or wounded you deeply. Make a conscious choice to forgive them, pray for them, and ask God to bless them abundantly. I know what I am asking you to do is not easy. However, it is so incredibly good for your heart and, even more importantly, it makes room for God to come in and bless you abundantly. 

Dear friends, we can do this. Be courageous, and let’s be brave enough to grab God’s hand and ask him to help us clean out all the junk in our trunks.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her sweet hubby, J, and her full-time job is making pretty things all day long for her Etsy business, so sarah designs, but she also loves writing devotional content here at The Glorious Table.

Photograph © Simson Petrol, used with permission

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