What Do You Save?
By Susan Klein
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart."
Matthew 12:35
Are you a saver? Do you like to save things that don’t really have any significant value?!
Many years ago, I took care of an elderly gentleman who saved all of his National Geographic magazines. Many, many years’ worth of them were piled from floor to ceiling all over his apartment. He couldn’t really say why he saved them, but he wasn’t willing to part with a single issue, even though they were a fire hazard!
Saving can be fun, particularly if an item has some sentimental value. I once knew a couple who saved matchbooks from every place they ever visited together. They put them all in a beautiful glass bowl on the coffee table and would occasionally sit and pull one out, reminiscing about one of their many travel adventures!
But, saving can also be a harmful thing, especially if we are saving just because we don’t have the willpower to “let go” of something - - like the man and his magazines. In fact, there is a whole reality show dedicated to the lives of people who over-save (hoard) items they don’t really need. Often, the things people save aren’t even tangible. Have you ever stored up hurt feelings or past wrongs that someone has committed against you? Maybe you’ve been unable to let go of some harsh words that were spoken by a friend or family member. Perhaps you are even holding onto some angry feelings toward another person. Scripture warns us that this type of saving is dangerous!
When one chooses to forgive someone of his or her wrongdoings, it brings cleansing and freedom to her heart. When she chooses to hold onto hurts or anger, bitter roots can develop, which Scripture tells us cause trouble and defile many (Hebrews 12:15). If we know Jesus as our Savior, We have the power to let go of these things! God gave it us in the form of His Holy Spirit. His indwelling equips us with the power to forgive others, and to break free from the bonds of hoarding and bitterness.
Are you willing to let go of the things that hinder you from storing up the treasures that God desires for you to have?
GOING DEEPER:
1) Take a personal inventory of the things you might be storing up in your heart that you need to be rid of.
2) Ask God for the power to forgive someone who may have hurt you, even if he or she has never asked for forgiveness.
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 6:14, 19-21; Hebrews 12:1-2
Susan is our Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She is also involved in inner city outreach.
