I've recently watched several episodes of "Hoarders"; a documentary about people with obsessive-compulsive disorder who struggle to part with their belongings. The more I watched, the more I recognized how we try to fix the outside problems, only to see the internal issues unresolved. The scenarios are vast, but at the end of the day it all came down to one root issue; they weren't loved. Interesting that we were all created to be loved by our father; THE Father.
One situation that really caught my attention was a man in his 90's who had been married with three children. He was a very successful insurance agent until one day the pressure became too much for him to handle emotionally. He turned to drinking and quickly became an alcoholic who abused his wife and children. Twelve years into the marriage, his wife and children left the home. Feeling like he lost control, he began to fill his 2 1/2 acres full of broken cars, scrap metal, and trash. With his entire home and property being covered, the city cited him with a $50,000 fine and told him to empty it all or he would lose his home and land. The man's family hadn't visited or spoken with him in over seven years because of his continual abusive behavior. During cleanup, the man continued to exhibit abuse towards his family and the staff. Later it was revealed that he had been sober for over 35 years. Sober for over 35 years and still abusive. He spent years and they spent days cleaning up the outside problems, but the inside was still the same over 35 years later. This man was on his death bed, yet still fighting to keep all of his junk that he was never going to use. He is about to die; what in the world is he going to do with all of that stuff when he dies? He CANNOT take any of it with him.
All too often we try to fix the visible, outward problems in our lives; be it drinking, smoking, sex, lying, stealing, pornography, shopping, etc. But without a heart transformation, the only thing we achieve is behavior modification. Don't get me wrong, there may be times when harmful things need to be stopped immediately, but every struggle you face in life will always be a spiritual issue and a matter of your heart. It will do you no good to stop the harmful behavior if your heart continues unhealed. Otherwise, you'll just change from one bad behavior to another.
Cleaning up the outside does not change the inside. Even some people with material wealth still experience emptiness and a feeling like something is missing. In the end, knowing the truth of who God is and who you are in Christ is the only way to resolution; the only thing that will ever matter. He who dies with the most toys doesn't win anything except a bunch of toys left behind.
RESOURCES
Are You Afraid?
Are You Afraid?
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