Truth In The Trash

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:3

The groan you heard last week was my garbage guy—not my sweet husband who wheeled the cans to the curb but the man who heaved the stuff into the truck. After several days of spring cleaning, late Monday evening I tossed one more thing on top—a small teddy bear once plush and purple but now weathered and weary. The bear belonged to Calvin, our cat. Two years ago when he arrived as a skittish and scared kitten, my girls gave it to him for comfort and security. Calvin played, pawed, tossed, chased, and chewed the soft toy, but for the past few months, the bear, with stuffing spilling from its side, had been lying by my back door. Each time I stepped out, I almost stepped on and tripped over the bear. Since it never moved from this spot, I assumed it was abandoned and should be thrown away, so I tossed it. Early the next morning, as I stepped out the door, I almost stepped on the bear. A driveway glance showed a knocked-down can and scattered contents. My sleeping family couldn’t be suspects, so that left only the feline. As if on cue, ‘round the corner came Calvin with a glare that screamed, “Some treasures should never be trashed.”

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Faith adds a nice touch to the already posh and pampered life of middle-class America, but to the first readers of Hebrews, faith wasn’t an addition but their foundation. And as persecution poured in, faith became their only possession. Their confidence in Christ gave purpose to their pain. They had “stood their ground…in the face of suffering.” Publicly shamed, imprisoned, insulted, and stripped of property, these Christians had stood “side by side” and stood strong in the certainty that God said what He meant and meant what He said. But as the persecution and pressure kept increasing and the passion of their first-found faith began to falter, these words encouraged them to continue with confidence and to not toss the truth.

Though we in this part of the world aren’t imprisoned and don’t lose property because of our confidence in Christ, our culture doesn’t see much value in the One we cherish. They think He was bright in His time but has been used up, worn out, and should be thrown away. Day after day, as Jesus stays in the same spot of first priority in your life, the world will stumble over Him when they see you, and being tripped up is troubling. Your confidence and consistency will bother them and often bring out their worst, but don’t let their rejection of Jesus phase you. Knock down the garbage and put Him back where He needs to be.

This morning as I stepped out my door, I saw Calvin’s bear—a not so bright but very big reminder that face value isn’t forever value. Because of our faith our circumstances may stink, our reputation may be ruined, and our assets may be lost, but our trust can never be taken away. Let the rough and tough of life crowd you to Christ. Cling to the bloodstained cross and empty tomb, and count on God to reward your confidence.

Some treasures should never be trashed.