Last week, after 12 years, we moved houses. Since we had so many beautiful memories in this place, I felt grateful for how it had served as a home for our lives and ministry. However, with our children all grown up and moved out, and with just my spouse and I living together, we no longer needed a three-bedroom house. We had been thinking for some time about moving to a place closer to the church. Then, when the landlord asked for a $100 increase in rent on top of last year's raise, we decided to move.
The new place we moved to is a two-bedroom apartment located in Parramatta, about 8 minutes from the church (1A Morton St, Parramatta). It’s closer to the church, gets sunlight throughout the day, and has nearby places for walking, which is nice.
What I realized during the move was that I had been living with so much stuff piled up in every corner that I couldn’t throw away. At the time, I bought these things because I thought I needed them, but then I didn’t use them much. It felt wasteful to throw them out, so I just kept piling them up everywhere. But over time, they became things that needed to be discarded. The more I dug through the stuff that had accumulated in every corner of the house, the more it seemed never-ending.
The new place we were moving into couldn’t accommodate a lot of things, so I had no choice but to throw them away. Yet, even then, it wasn’t easy to let go. I found myself hesitating, thinking I might need them later.
When the time comes for us to move to heaven, we'll need to leave everything behind, just like how I had to part with things during this move. I regret holding on to so much, wondering why I couldn't let go earlier. What seems valuable on this earth might mostly turn out to be trash in God's kingdom.
Not only material things but also the values and mindsets ingrained in our thoughts may need to be discarded. Francis Schaeffer once said, "We have accumulated values as if we were collecting trash off the streets." The experiences and thoughts we accumulate throughout our lives unknowingly become our values, becoming part of our bones and flesh. But within those values, there are many things we need to discard, things that weigh down our lives and keep us from being free.
As winter in Sydney passes and spring arrives, why not take the time to boldly discard and organize the things that make your life heavy and restrict your freedom?
Word of the week
The second half of the Life studies are now open for registration. Particularly, to become a shepherd, you must take the required courses. Be sure to register for the mandatory courses being offered.
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이동주 2024.08.24 19:46
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Last week, after 12 years, we moved houses. Since we had so many beautiful memories in this place, I felt grateful for how it had served as a home for our lives and ministry. However, with our children all grown up and moved out, and with just my spouse and I living together, we no longer needed a three-bedroom house. We had been thinking for some time about moving to a place closer to the church. Then, when the landlord asked for a $100 increase in rent on top of last year's raise, we decided to move.
The new place we moved to is a two-bedroom apartment located in Parramatta, about 8 minutes from the church (1A Morton St, Parramatta). It’s closer to the church, gets sunlight throughout the day, and has nearby places for walking, which is nice.
What I realized during the move was that I had been living with so much stuff piled up in every corner that I couldn’t throw away. At the time, I bought these things because I thought I needed them, but then I didn’t use them much. It felt wasteful to throw them out, so I just kept piling them up everywhere. But over time, they became things that needed to be discarded. The more I dug through the stuff that had accumulated in every corner of the house, the more it seemed never-ending.
The new place we were moving into couldn’t accommodate a lot of things, so I had no choice but to throw them away. Yet, even then, it wasn’t easy to let go. I found myself hesitating, thinking I might need them later.
When the time comes for us to move to heaven, we'll need to leave everything behind, just like how I had to part with things during this move. I regret holding on to so much, wondering why I couldn't let go earlier. What seems valuable on this earth might mostly turn out to be trash in God's kingdom.
Not only material things but also the values and mindsets ingrained in our thoughts may need to be discarded. Francis Schaeffer once said, "We have accumulated values as if we were collecting trash off the streets." The experiences and thoughts we accumulate throughout our lives unknowingly become our values, becoming part of our bones and flesh. But within those values, there are many things we need to discard, things that weigh down our lives and keep us from being free.
As winter in Sydney passes and spring arrives, why not take the time to boldly discard and organize the things that make your life heavy and restrict your freedom?
Word of the week
The second half of the Life studies are now open for registration. Particularly, to become a shepherd, you must take the required courses. Be sure to register for the mandatory courses being offered.