Tag Archives: Trash

Pastoral thoughts

If You Don’t Like the Garbage

There’s one thing that bugs me about the road by which we live – the litter that ends up in our yard. I pick up wrappers from McDonalds, bags from burger King, and boxes from Wendy’s, along with cans, bottles, and cups – and once even a bumper from a car that veered off the road and slammed into the telephone pole in our yard. I’ve wondered why people feel so free to throw their litter out of their vehicles, to dump their garbage where they don’t have to pick it up. I think the very same thing anytime I see someone throw a cigarette butt out their window. There are probably numerous reasons – but I believe the core reason is they don’t want to deal with the garbage. They love the food, the pleasure, but not the leftover garbage. To that I say, “If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

In actuality, this is a major biblical theme.

  • “When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden …. God called to the Man: “Where are you?” He said, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.” (Genesis 3:8-10 The Message)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Cain said to God, “My punishment is too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off the land and I can never again face you. I’m a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:13-14 The Message)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “When I refused to confess my sin my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat”. (Psalm 32:2-4 New Living Translation)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.” (Proverbs 11:29)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “Lazy hands make for poverty…Whoever maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 10:4 & 10)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “For the wages of sin is death…”(Romans 6:23)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” (I Corinthians 10:8-10)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death…” (Galatians 6:7-8 Good News Translation)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

  • “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.”

So:

  • If you don’t like the sexual immorality of our day… don’t watch the movies/shows that promote them or support the advertisers who pay for them.

  • If you don’t like lung cancer, don’t smoke .If you don’t like being drunk, don’t drink. If you don’t like arguing with your spouse, don’t do the things that lead to arguments.

  • If you don’t like being in debt, don’t live off your credit card and spend what you do not have.

  • If you don’t like feeling separated from God, stop doing the things that separate you from Him.

“If you don’t like the garbage, don’t eat the lunch.” In fact, if you don’t like the garbage, change your diet. “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.” (Isaiah 55:1-3) It all begins with your relationship with Jesus. “I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness…Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 10:10 &  7:37-38) Now that’s a garbage free diet!

Pastoral thoughts

Trashy Treasure

 

An abandoned area that is covered with trash and street graffiti. This makes an excellent background or backdrop. Shallow depth of field.

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. It’s most often said when advertising a rummage sale. I’ve heard and said it often. However, I’ve always been a little uncomfortable with it – I’ve wondered what impact it has upon those purchasing the items in the sale. If my stuff is trash, does that mean the person buying it is a trashy person? I hope not – I would never mean it that way. I hope the message is that we all have different needs and view things differently. What I don’t need, you may need. What I see as useless, you may see as useful. What I see as of little value, you may see of great value. It’s all a matter of perspective. I determine what is trash and treasure in my life and you determine what it is in yours.

It occurs to me that this same principle applies to what happens to us, to how we respond to the events and circumstance of life. I pondered this recently when I read a chapter in Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s book, “Buried Treasure.”[i] He pointed out that in the Hebrew language a word spelled backwards often has the opposite meaning of the original word.  For example the Hebrew word for trash is resh-peh-shin. Reverse it and you get shin-peh-resh, which is the root for the word SHaPiR which means ‘excellent’ or ‘fine’ and is the basis of the word sapphire. I find that fascinating. When I’m in the midst of a

antique wooden chest isolated on white background

difficult experience it looks bad, like trash. But often time tells a different story; when I later look back on it I see how it was an experience that refined, molded and taught me. The trash was really a treasure.

This changes how I view my present experiences. Is the tough time I’m going through trash or treasure? My perspective will determine how I respond. It’s now so much what happens to us that matters as it is how we respond to what happens to us. It’s not what life brings to us in her hands as it is what we bring to life in ours.

That’s one of the reasons I wrote my book on the life of Joseph.[ii] His life was full of trash – dysfunctional family, rejection, revenge, guilt, broken dreams, temptation, and self-pity. But they were mere stepping stones that took him from a pit of death to a place in a palace. When he was reconciling with his brothers – who had betrayed him – he proclaimed “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” He saw all the tough times in his life not as trash but trashy treasure.

Joseph’s life principle points to Jesus. Even He demonstrated that trash could be treasure. He died the most cruel and despised death of all – crucifixion. But when he rose from the dead He proved the trashy cross was really the treasure of salvation for all who believe.

Whatever you view as trash in your life, try reversing your thinking. It may just become a treasure. Be open to what God is doing in your life.

[i] Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Buried Treasure (Multnomah Publishers, 2001), 151f.

[ii] “When the Going Gets Tough” – see www.revcpikk.com