Our hearts as Containers (And Thoughts on Other Stuff )
The heart and mind as containers:
How is the heart and mind like a container? Webster gives the following definitions of contain: restrain, to have within, hold, comprise, include. Now let's incorporate the concept of a container to hold goods or merchandise to the concept within God's word, with our hearts and minds as the containers. The heart, in and of itself is an organ which pumps blood throughout the body and as such can be considered a container! The mind stores every thought and is also a container.
A Look at Biblical Containers:
The woman at the well: In John 4 we can read the account of Jesus' request for water from the woman at Jacob’s well. Since she was at the well, she undoubtedly had containers with her. This particular container could be said to be filled with salvation. How many containers of salvation would you give away if they were available in that form?
Jesus turns water into wine: Reading from the second chapter of John, Jesus had just returned from a forty day journey into the wilderness, subjecting himself to every suggestion Satan offered that he use His miraculous powers for personal gratification. Yet he refused to use His powers for his own personal need.
Jesus went directly from his time of temptation to a wedding, a place of much joy and happiness. You can read John's account of the wedding in your own bible. Turning the container of water into wine was Jesus' first miracle. We are told that each container was the equivalent of about half a barrel. We now have a second look at biblical references to containers.
Psalms 118:11 reads: "Thy word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against thee." (NASB) This biblical container is full of words. If you have an article of great value you will most likely put it into a container designed specifically for that purpose. This particular container needs to have a very secure lid, perhaps even a lock, since words have the ability to heal or to hurt. Better to be a healer.
Holding fast to that which is good - I Thes 5:21 tells us to "examine everything, and to hold fast to that which is good." Every home maker knows that if spoiled food sets in a container too long, the container will absorb the odor and flavor of the food and most likely end up in the dumpster with the contents intact. (I generally offer those containers to my husband to use for his stuff; rusty, dusty nuts and bolts have a certain personality of their own, so a smelly container isn't much of a problem.) If a container is to be effective for whatever it's intended, it must be designed to keep the product in.
Our lives are much like containers; they can be of great benefit and use or they can become spoiled and of little use. How Jesus Christ expects us to use the gifts he has put into our human containers seems quite obvious. Is it time for a yearly house cleaning? I know it is for me.
January 2008 was a good time to start a new year than with a good housecleaning but my body had other plans; getting well. But now that I’m on the recovery side where will I put all this stuff? In containers, of course. What better way to spend mid summer than with a good housecleaning? At any rate, when "the fever" strikes the activity around this place is utterly chaotic for a couple of days.
Our youngest son agrees mom is the queen of clutter. Actually I consider myself a collector. Whatever the diagnosis, one thing is certain; every so often it becomes imperative to rearrange or toss. Fortunately my energy runs out before any serious damage is done and gradually things settle back to status quo.
"Anyone who has spent time decorating a house or an office knows the value of containers. An empty container is the best excuse for buying new things that need to be contained." Ah, that's the answer; buy more containers so I'll have containers in which to put new things. Since I have more stuff than containers at the moment, there’s little choice but to toss or recycle. Even with a new storage building just for "my things" not only is my mind cluttered, so is the rest of our household!
Kinds of containers:
Containers come in every conceivable form: square, rectangular, triangular, round, oblong, tall, short, pie shaped, heart shaped, divided, covered, uncovered, heavy weight, light weight, some with pop-tops, some with turn on tops; you get the idea. A container sale is one of my weaknesses and I have stacks of them to illustrate the point.
THEN THERE IS THE "STUFF":
"Every Fall, I stir my STUFF. There is closet STUFF, Drawer STUFF, Attic STUFF, and Basement STUFF
I separate the good STUFF from the bad STUFF. Then I STUFF the bad STUFF anywhere where the STUFF is not too crowded till I decide if I'll need the bad STUFF.
When the Lord calls me home, my children will want the good STUFF, but the bad STUFF, STUFFed wherever there is room, among all the other STUFF, will be STUFFed in bags and taken to the dump where all the other people’s STUFF has been taken.
Whenever we have company they always bring bags and bags of STUFF. When I visit my son, he always moves his STUFF so I have room for my STUFF. Their STUFF, my STUFF....it would be so much easier to use their STUFF and leave my STUFF at home, with the rest of my STUFF.
This Fall I had an extra storage building built so I would have a place for all the STUFF too good to throw away and too bad to keep with my good STUFF.
You may not have this problem, but I seem to spend a lot of time with STUFF... Food STUFF, Cleaning STUFF, Medicine STUFF, clothes STUFF and outside STUFF. Whatever would life be like if we didn't have all this STUFF?
Now there is all that STUFF we use to make us smell better than we do. There is the STUFF to make our hair look good. STUFF to make us look younger. STUFF to make us look healthier. STUFF to hold us in and STUFF to fill us out. There is STUFF to read, STUFF to play with, STUFF to entertain with and STUFF to eat. We STUFF ourselves with the Food STUFF.
Well, our lives are filled with STUFF...good STUFF, bad STUFF, little STUFF, big useful STUFF, junky STUFF and everyone's STUFF.
Now, when we leave all our STUFF and go to heaven, whatever happens to our STUFF won't matter. We will still have the good STUFF GOD has prepared for us in HEAVEN." (Author unknown)
Copyright 2000-2001 Lillian Hines, updated 8/12/08 Published by The Christian Online MagazineComments and rating welcome. Thanks.
