The story is told of a woman who dressed in rags, lived in a tenement house amid mounds of garbage, and spent much of her time rummaging through trash cans. The local newspaper picked up her story after the woman who was known in her neighborhood as “Garbage Mary” had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Astonishingly, in her filthy apartment police found stock certificates and bankbooks indicating she was worth at least one million dollars.This woman’s condition was heartbreaking. But from God’s point of view, there are even more tragic examples of “wealthy” people who subsist on “garbage.” As Christians, if we are controlled by lust, hate, envy, pride, impatience, or bitterness, we are actually choosing to live off the refuse of the world (Ephesians 5:1-13).
This might be understandable if we had no resources to draw from. You’d expect that kind of behavior from non-Christians. But that’s not the case for followers of Christ. We have the Word of "truth" (James 1:18). We have no excuse for groveling in the dirt of sin when the power of God is at our disposal (Romans 1:16).
Holy Father, forgive us for eating worldly “garbage” when You’ve prepared a spiritual banquet for us. Help us to “lay aside all filthiness” (James 1:21) and to feast on Your goodness (Psalm 107:8-9).
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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