Navigate - Finding Your Way In This World

From Trash to Treasure

If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:21-24

Ephesians 4:17-24 (NIV) says, “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Our city often conducts trash clean-up weeks where people can clean up their houses and yards and put unwanted items out by the curb. This usually inspires all the spring cleaners, and often each house will sport a pile of trash out front until the city dump trucks come along on the scheduled day to do the pick-ups. I participated in the clean-up week by putting dead tree limbs out by the curb and bags of leaves. My neighbors, however, took full advantage of the clean-up week by dragging out all sorts of odds and ends to place at the end of the drive.

One day when I came home, I noticed people sorting through the trash at the end of the neighbor’s drive. I couldn’t imagine what in the world they would want with anyone’s garbage. I asked a lady who was hauling stuff to her truck what she was going to do with the trash. She informed me that when she found something in the garbage, she often didn’t use it for what it was originally intended, but repurposed it for some other use.

God has done something very similar in my life. My usefulness to God in my natural (sinful) state is nothing short of being trash! But when God saved me through the work of His Son, He transformed me into something entirely new. He pulled me out of the pile of rubble and gave me a new identity and a new function. Now I need to be mindful that I am a new creation and not return to my old ways!

Change, Preserve and Add Value

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

Matthew 5:13

I often pick up the saltshaker and start salting my food without even tasting it. It’s an invaluable staple in my household! I feel that food is bland without salt, and I’m not sure I could live without it! Medically speaking, I can’t live without it. Our body is made up of approximately 4% salt. We lose salt as we sweat, and it continually has to be replaced; otherwise, it could cause significant problems. Salt is essential for nerve and muscle function. I remember playing sports as a kid, and our coach would pump us full of salty drinks so that we would not get muscle cramps.

Every culture values salt for numerous reasons. Salt can change the ground from fertile to infertile. It can be used to preserve meat from spoilage, and it once was a very valuable trade that was used in place of money. Throughout the world, salt is used in many different ways.

In Matthew 5:13, why did Jesus use the word “salt”? Why not sugar, air, water, or life? I believe He used it because salt can change, preserve, and add value to whatever it touches (just like you can as a Christian). But how can salt lose its flavor? The only way for salt to lose its saltiness, from a chemical perspective, is for a chemical reaction to occur. NaCl (salt) is a very stable substance. The chemical bond is very tight. So, for salt to lose its intense saltiness, or change its physical composition, it would have to be diluted in water; otherwise, it’s not reactive. Electricity can also force sodium chloride into its ionic components, thereby changing its chemical composition.

For a Christian to lose our saltiness, we would have to stray from the gospel by diluting it with worldly ways and views, or by compromising the truth of God’s Word. Another way that Christians can lose our saltiness is if we question the truth of God’s Word after some tragic life event has struck. How many times have you seen brothers and sisters in Christ who were on fire for Him fall away and lose the fervor they once had? Often it is the effect of letting the world dictate their view on life and the things around them, instead of the Word of God. I know two brothers who had a tragic event strike their lives – one turned to the Lord, and the other walked away. The one who turned away lost his saltiness – he questioned God’s Word and His faithfulness. The other grew stronger in the Lord than he ever had been.

We aren’t called to sugarcoat or change His Word to appease the world. He didn’t say “sugar”; He said “salt”! We are called to be the salt – the flavor of this world. If we are to be the salt of the earth, we should be changing those around us, preserving God’s Word, and adding value to our world!

Are You Seeking His Kingdom or Your Own?

But seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Whose kingdom are you focused on? Is it primarily your own, or is it God’s kingdom?

When a person has a focus on their own kingdom, they become consumed by possessions, finances, careers, reputations, and appearances. Plain and simple, this is a life primarily focused on self. One of the most significant pieces of evidence of this is materialism. While God calls us to use things and love people, those focused on their own kingdom do just the opposite. They use people and love things. This inward mindset lives for the immediate rather than the eternal and causes one to lose sight of God’s two primary commands to love and serve Him and others. Jesus clearly stated that no man can serve two masters-its, either His kingdom or ours.

When a person is living for God’s kingdom, they are motivated by knowing, pleasing, glorifying, and serving God. They understand true peace is being in the center of God’s will and helping others to find the true meaning of life – a relationship with Jesus. These people know the most essential truth is not knowing when you were born but why you were born. They are defined by mission and purpose; not one they dreamt up on their own but the one God destined for them before they were even born

There is only one kingdom that will last, and all others which are built are nothing more than castles on the sand. We should all ask ourselves not only which kingdom we are building but where we are building them. Matthew 6:33 is not a promise that those who are seeking God first will get everything they want, but it is a guarantee God will provide everything they need.

Can Strangers See Jesus in You?

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

Can strangers see Jesus in you? We should be the hope of Christ in this world. Would you like to be so full of Jesus that it is unmistakable to those around you? Often, people will approach me when I am in public and start to tell me their life story or troubles – sometimes asking for prayer. When I was younger, it used to perturb me, because I was in a hurry and people would deter my plans. One day I was out and about, and a stranger approached me with their troubles, and I thought to myself, Lord, I don’t have time for this today. And the Lord clearly spoke to my spirit, “Do you want to be used by Me or not?” My attitude totally changed from that point forward!

After that day, I decided that I wanted to be so filled with the Spirit of God that people were flocking all around me! I want people to see Christ in my life, and the Spirit be so powerful that people can’t help but be attracted to the Jesus in me! Just like this scripture in Colossians, Paul is saying that the presence of Jesus should be so undeniable in each of us that others find hope in it! When you spend time with Jesus, whether it be in the Word, praying, or just hanging out with Jesus, it will show! His power and His glory will be reflected in you to the world, and His presence will be upon you so that people will be drawn to you wherever you go! Let your life be a testimony and example of what happens when God is present.

Mindset of Christ

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5

How can we have the mindset of Christ? Philippians 2:5 tells us that in all our relationships, we should have the same mindset as Christ. What does this even mean, and how can we have the same mindset as Christ?

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own...