Next Door Savior by Max Lucado
"Imperfect People"
John 1:29
The subtitle of "Imperfect People" is "The Trashman". It depicts Christ as the one who allows each of us to dump all of our emotional trash on Him. Bags full of regret, shame, scorn. There is no need for anyone to carry around the weight of sin and past mistakes. Jesus Christ willingly, no fervently, wants each of us to come to Him and dump all our garbage on Him. He went to the cross for that reason and that reason only--to free us from the penalty of our sin. That penalty is not just eternal damnation, but also a life full of regret, fear and disappointment.
The trick after giving Him our trash the first time is to keep from taking it back and refilling our trash sack with those items Christ has already placed in the landfill of His Death and Resurrection. In the area of sin trash, recycling is not the thing do to. Today's chapter provides a valuable visual aid when I start to allow past regret and sin to disrupt the present.
I wondered as I read the chapter, "How much trash have I put in another person's sack?" Although I cannot relieve anyone of their emotional trash, I need to strive not to add to that. Do I build up or tear down? Am I an encourager or a discourager? Will my interactions today lighten a load or add to someone's burden? I believe one measure of my "Christlikeness" can be found in the answers to these questions.
Please pray that I will not be a "trash giver" but a "trash reliever".
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