Leftovers. My refrigerator is cluttered with them, and my house is sprinkled with remnants of the leftovers 
of Valentines Day. Though a week ago, Valentine’s Day gave me the gift of a leftover, in the form of food poisoning. My last meal was out to an early dinner with my honey…and 5 hours later I began what became a week of being sicker than I have been in years.
But, just like the sun after the rain, I am feeling wonderful today. And, as I drink my coffee and look into the kitchen, there’s still the red balloon floating up towards the ceiling–a mylar balloon with the words, I LOVE YOU, boldly wrapped around a shiny glitter heart. Under it is a rose, once beautiful just days ago, now with it’s pretty red petals tipped downward…tired little rose. Yes, these are some of the things left over from the past week.
I still remember leftovers that used to be common but are now long ago and far away. Remnants of hurt because my expectations were not met, or someone did not make me feel loved the right way, or things didn’t turn out as I had hoped. You might be familiar with those kind of leftovers too…remnants of disappointment that strip our little hearts of the joy that God wants to infuse us with. A joy that is not in having everything we want, but a joy in knowing that because God is always working in our lives, we will always have everything we need.
Maybe our unmet expectations are purposeful in the plan of growing us up, maturing us, making us women who are less in life for what we can “take” and more interested in what we can “give”. For some of us, the entitlement to have what we think we want or need can really mess us up and get our priorities out of line. For others the self-pity and discontentment that comes with comparing what we have with others, is a trap that will sap the joy of life right out of us…if we let it. Yes, Leftovers, they are all around us.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, the fullness of God comes to live inside of us.
Colossians 2:9-10
“…you have been given fullness in Christ who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised in the putting off of the sinful nature,not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by the Christ…When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with it’s regulations, that was against us and stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ.”
- We have been given fullness, by Christ who is above every living thing.
- We have had the old nature cut away by the work and power of God.
- We have been forgiven…made alive
Then why do we often live in our leftovers? They are old and they will poison us, making us spiritually sick!
“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, why as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules.” Col 2: 20
So here’s the deal in a nutshell. You and I can have the fullness and fullest life that Christ died for and desires for us to live in…OR…we can live in the leftovers and dregs of our own best efforts and own self. But, why would we settle for the limitations of self, when Christ came to give us the fullness of God? It seems to me to be a no brainer, but I often live in “me” while not even paying attention to the power of God living within me.
What are your leftovers?
They might be recent leftovers or really old poisonous remnants of self that are literally making you spiritually and emotionally sick.
Today think of the 3 bullet points above, taken from Colossians.
Let God’s word speak to your heart. Internalize what it is saying to YOU. Let is be personal, drawing you closer to the Father and closer to what He has for you as His child. Ask God to help you see the things that are leftover and poisoning you….
an unforgiveness, a grudge, a gossip you engage in towards another, a hurt that you hold tightly to, an injustice that you are unwilling to let go of…..I am not sure what yours is, but today ask God to show you what is making you sick, and allow the Spirit of God, Mighty in Power….to move in and through you, purging you of all that keeps you from optimal spiritual health.
Giving God My Leftovers,
Debbie
Prayer
Father, I come to you today and I ask you to make clear to me why I continue to live in old habits, old hurts and old ways…even knowing they make me miserable and spiritually sick. I am asking you to make the basic truths of your Word alive in my heart, so that I will walk and live in the fullness that you came for me to live in. Teach me what that means. Today I surrender my heart, my life, my entire self, to you once again. Make me all that you have created me to be and remove the leftover places of hurt and self interest that keep me stuck and keep me from moving forward. In Jesus Name…Amen
