Stuffing Stuff

Job 31:33 “Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart? (NLT)

My wife and I are stuffers. How do I know? I look in closets, open cabinets, peer in the attic and peak under beds. And every crevice is full.

We once lived in a small typically arranged older home: four large rooms, a kitchen and bathroom. Every room was stuffed with furniture (my wife says I’m obsessed). Our dining room was stuffed with carnival glass on every piece of furniture (I say she’s obsessed). There were no vacant corners or closets. And we rented a storage building which was also stuffed.

Then we moved to a larger home, thinking we would be able to unstuff, that baseboards would become visible and closets breathable. But every space is still stuffed.

A lot of stuff had been piled on Job. He lost most of his family and possessions and was afflicted with a serious case of boils. But one thing he didn’t do was stuff in return. He openly professed his innocence of sin and rejected his fair weather friend’s accusations that God was punishing him because he stuffed. Had he concealed his sins, he could have understood God’s punishment.

Stuffing stuff can be dangerous especially when it is sins against God. Our sinful nature leads us to think about actions forbidden by God, society, the law or our church. The result is mental conflict which we often solve through repression (stuffing).

The cure for stuffing is unpacking (confession). Had Job actually been guilty of sinning, he would have gladly unstuffed to remedy his situation. Confession acknowledges our guilt to God, helping us take personal responsibility for our accountability to him.

Missing God’s mark is typical human behavior but repressing when we do is spiritually unhealthy. Be willing to tell God what he already knows so you and he can be on good terms.

Prayer: Father, when we’re tempted to stuff what needs to be unpacked, remind us our relationship with You should be based on openness and honesty.
(photo courtesy of Pixomar at www.freedigitalphotos.net)


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