Have you ever opened your microwave to reheat a cup of coffee, only to find you really don’t want to put it in there? It’s like the ghosts of dinners past haunt that little space from all sides. And don’t even get me started on the spaghetti sauce stalactites hanging from the top. At least I hope it’s spaghetti sauce. Because otherwise, what I found inside my microwave a few days ago was a tiny little murder scene. A murder scene is even worse than a haunting. Also guess who didn’t put her coffee in there.
I drink lots of coffee with lots in it. Coffee with too much sweetener and even more creamer is perfect for me. People, I rarely turn down an overdone cuppa. But I don’t regret refusing the murder coffee. Not even a little. Coffee with spaghetti sauce drippings holds no appeal for me either.
When you find this kind of scene in your microwave oven, who ya gunna call? A housecleaning service? CSI? Best Buy? Like, just give up and buy a new microwave?
I hate to admit it, but sometimes I can be more like that microwave than I want anyone to know. Anytime I’m wondering why life doesn’t taste as sweet, I really have to look at what I might be hanging onto, stalactite-style. Hanging onto self-centeredness, bitterness, laziness or any of those kinds of things will always haunt a spirit and kill all the deliciousness of life.
First Peter 2:1-2 gives us a big, ugly list and then tells us making God’s word a central part of our lives can help us get rid of everything ugly that might be hanging around in there. “So be done with every trace of wickedness, depravity, malignity and all deceit and insincerity, pretense, hypocrisy and grudges, envy, jealousy and slander and evil speaking of every kind. Like newborn babies you should crave, thirst for, earnestly desire, the pure, unadulterated spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto completed salvation” (AMP).
Before I can grab onto what the Lord wants me to do, and before I can experience the satisfaction and joy that comes with fruitfulness, I have to let go of sin and selfishness and hang on tight to the instruction of his word. God’s word is life building, fruit building, faith building.
Paul reminds us to stay rooted in our faith in Colossians 1:21-23: “You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent. But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith” (CEV).
Nothing inspires getting rid of sin and growing in Christ more than recounting our salvation by reading His word. It inspires a faith that’s deeply rooted. Firm and strong. Altogether undaunted. And evermore unhaunted.