11 Jun

Refuse? No this is Garbage!

posted by Jody Johnston

I had an experience yesterday. It was one of the experiences that really gets you thinking straight again. This experience happens occasionally, but this time it happened at the wrong time. The garbage men forgot to pick up my trash! It would’ve been ok if they forgot last week, but not yesterday. See, yesterday I had A LOT of garbage; it was overflowing! I noticed my neighbors’ trash had been picked up, but not mine! I had to get rid of my trash; because if I added any more, my driveway was sure to be the neighborhood’s animals feeding ground! So I loaded the entire trashcan into the back of the car and headed out in search of the garbage men.

In just about two seconds of being in the car I realized what I had done. I had just put the worst smelling mixture of garbage anyone has every inhaled inside a small contained area and then gotten in with it! I found out very quickly that my gag reflex still worked, and I wished for the first time that we owned a convertible. After about a ten-minute drive that consisted of watery eyes and a churning stomach, I came in view of the prettiest sight I thought I could ever see…the garbage truck!!

I helped the garbage men load up my collection of waste and gave a rejoicing thanks to God for allowing me to survive such an awful ten minutes! I threw my trashcan in the back and set off for home! But once again I realized something was very wrong! I still smelled the garbage! Because that trash had set inside of that container, the trashcan still smelled like the garbage!

In Hebrew 3:13, we are warned that sin’s deception can harden us against God. We as believers, who have asked for forgiveness and have been washed in the blood of Christ, have been forgiven of our sin! But there are times when I sin and I let it hang over me and even let it make my attitude sour! When I let those lies that sin puts in my life control and influence me, I am giving my sin more control than God! By doing so, I have let sin harden me against God. You see that trashcan was a lot like how sin has been in my life. The trash represents sin and just as I got rid of the trash, Christ got rid of the trash in my life! The smell that lingered after the trash was gone represents the lies that sin puts in my life! Even when the trash was gone (my sin) Satan still uses its lies to deceive me, but no more!

When I got home I sprayed that car full with Febreze just as God has removed sin’s lies from over me!

Lord, thank you so much for removing the trash from my life! I thank you that the stench of my sin has been covered by your blood, and I have been set free!

Filed in: Forgiveness, Sin

About the Author

Jody Johnston is a 17-year old student, athlete, and worship leader. He attends Hendersonville High School, where he is active in FCA and Select Chorus. In his free time, he loves to play Ultimate Frisbee and boulder.

Read more about Jody here.