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Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
One night a few weeks ago, I stayed up watching “Hoarders” with two of my daughters! I could not pull myself away. I would watch one episode then another one would come on with even more bazaar behavior. I sat thinking about how people could gather so much stuff to the point of it being unsafe and unhealthy. Wow, there was a man who had a couple thousand pet rats, another was going to loose her kids because there was no place for them to eat, sleep or play. Every nook and cranny was filled with garbage and these people were helpless to fix their problem. I was also amazed that these people lived with putrid smells because they could not find what was rotten or dead under their stuff. They had become unaware of the smell after awhile. I patted myself on the back as I climbed into bed thankful that I was not a "hoarder". I felt pretty smug that my closets were cleaned regularly and ridded of junk and if I sniffed the air to see if my nose could detect anything stinking feeling satisfied I went to bed happy with myself.
This morning, as I thought about those “Hoarders”, I was led to think about my own hoarding. What kind of junk do I hide in my heart? Is their a putrid smell that I have become used to living with? Unresolved sin maybe? Unforgiveness perhaps? How many layers of junk do I need to go through to find what is rotten or dead? I always liked the phrase “stinkin’ thinkin’” and none of us are immune to this kind of thinking. As I reflected on this I thought of someone who hurt my feelings more than forty years ago and I realized I was still mad. Talk about the memory of an elephant! I can “smell” those times when I tried to pluck the splinter from someone’s eye while I should have seen the log in my own eye. I asked the Lord to forgive me of my pride in thinking I was (as the kids say) “all that”! Judging can be pretty stinky you know! Had I covered the stink with religious stuff like praying, reading the bible and attending church? Maybe something has died in my heart that leaves a stench, like compassion or love of neighbor or , even more, love of my enemies! Hatred has a smell all it’s own!
I am not ready to call in those people who help hoarders but I am ready to call in my Savior to help me clean up the areas in my heart that need the cleansing. He not only takes out the junk, he shines his light on our “stinkin’ thinkin’”. His blood is the only thing that can clean the heart, his light is the only thing that can shine into those crevices to find those things that are unseen and rotting.
Very true! It's so easy for us to judge others and question the way they live. So often we feel superior to those who we deem to be less fortunate. The truth be told we are all hoarders of something, be it material things, or sin. Perhaps anger or guilt? The circumstances may vary and so too the way we deal with them, but it's still hoarding. Just because it doesn't smell, or you can't physically see or touch it doesn't mean it isn't there. I think as in all our different weaknesses it's important to realize we all have a perspective, I often watch that show and think, wow! They are so gross and dirty. As your post points out, I too am a hoarder! Nice piece..Thanks for the insight..God Bless..Rich
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