I enjoy shopping. I REALLY enjoy shopping. There, I said it. I like window shopping, clothes shopping, shoe shopping, grocery shopping, Christmas gift shopping, and I even enjoy taking someone shopping and buying them what they may need. Our former pastor once said that I am the only woman he knows with the “spiritual gift of shopping.” What?! Well, he said that because I love to encourage people, so I go clothes shopping with someone who doesn’t have a clue, put them in a dressing room, and bring them clothes to try on. “Oh, you look great in that!” “You look 10 pounds lighter in this style!” “Wow! Your husband is going to love this!.” See? The “spiritual gift of shopping.”
Now, I don’t have a ton of money to spend on clothes, but I also don’t feel it is necessary to pay full price for them. I enjoy outlet malls, discount stores, and sales. Why pay more than you have to, right? The only thing I will pay full price for are concert clothes, however.
I just spent a morning this week cleaning out my closet and my shoe rack and gave the old stuff to Goodwill. There were a lot of things that were wearing out, the wrong size, or stuff I just didn’t want anymore. Out with the old and …..you know the rest, right? GRIN
I got to thinking about the new year we are embarking on and how we can also look at old habits, patterns and relationships that need to be cleaned out and replaced with new ones. That old habit of gossiping or that old pattern of thinking that everyone is against us, or living in unforgiveness. How about tossing the old pattern of hanging onto the past and letting it have power over us? Wouldn’t it be great to toss that and put on the attitude of forgiveness and be able to move forward in the new year?!
If we are honest, we could probably find many things we can toss out and replace. The coat of insecurity and isolation can be replaced by a brand new coat of confidence that comes from realizing who God says we are and not what our past has told us. Those shoes of dishonesty and secrets, can be replaced by squeaky new shoes of integrity. The old apron of keeping anyone from knowing us, can be replaced by a new apron of joyful friendships.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…This is your spiritual act of worship. DO NOT CONFORM ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS…HIS GOOD, PLEASING, AND PERFECT WILL.” Romans 12:1,2
Take a look in your closet and find the things you need to clean out and toss them far away. Now, look for the new you, and take positive steps to fill that closet with all who God meant you to be. Oh, and just a thought….always keep a lookout for cute shoes! GRIN
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
To help with your “closet cleaning” transformation, go to www.amazon.com and look up “Visions of Him”, a devotional book I wrote to keep your eyes looking upward. A great start to 2016!