Clearing Spaces

“Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.” (2 Cor. 10-3:6 MSG)
 

Yesterday, when I read this verse, the phrase, ‘clearing the ground’ stood out for me.

I like clearing and organizing spaces. I routinely get rid of stuff I no longer use: old clothes, shoes, magazines, accessories, home-décor, pots and pans, electronics etc. I relish seeing an empty space where there was once clutter. Unfortunately, the space, somehow, gets filled up quickly with new junk.

When we clear ground for God, we have to be careful not to fill it with our own junk. Whether it is in our own lives or in the lives of others, we have to be comfortable with empty spaces. Emptiness is a prerequisite for God’s plans.

After clearing the ground, we are eager to start building according to our own vision of the future. We are too impatient to wait for the Architect’s plans. We fill in the emptiness with temporary structures that are bound to be torn down in a short time.

Don‘t be in a rush for self-fulfillment. Stay empty. Wait for God.