As a mom, my backseat works as a multipurpose area. I have
toted three bags of karate gear, backpacks, a change of clothes, and snacks
just for one outing. On other days, it’s been filled with groceries, dry
cleaning and walking shoes. Sometimes, it carries my newest discoveries in
fashion, my dear husband’s items from his buy list, or the dogs.
Over the years, what can be found in my backseat has
changed. There for a while you could find people in my backseat, weird.
However, no matter what I carried around with me, eventually
the backseat got emptied.
As children of God, I think sometimes we need to stop and
empty our backseats. We carry around a lot of extra baggage that works to weigh
us down and distract us from God’s purpose for our lives.
Things we pick up along the way throughout our day or week
can weave their way into our thinking and attitudes. Someone said something
unkind, the car beside you cut you off, or the neighbor across the street took
your paper.
When we keep negative thoughts and attitudes hanging around,
they zap our energy and draw our attention away from God. We need to release
these things into the Lord’s hands.
As we find in Philippians 4:8, “Finally brothers and
sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy – think about such things.” (NIV).
Also consider Isaiah 55:9, “As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.” (NIV).
Our backseats don’t have to be cluttered with negative,
unlovely thoughts and attitudes. We don’t have to go through our days carrying
this extra baggage. We can give it all to the One whose thoughts are higher
than ours. The One who tells us we are wonderfully and fearfully made.
So, I challenge you, check your backseat. Give God any
negative thoughts or attitudes. Let Him flood you with His peace and fill you
with His grace.
bym