How To Get Rid of Skeletons in the Closet - Spiritual Nugget 94

During the holiday, the iconic, fictional story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer once again surfaced as part of the holiday festivities.
 
This story has a happy ending despite its gloomy beginning for Rudolph being heckled, shamed and treated as an outcast. When an unexpected storm throws the sky into darkness, Santa’s promise to deliver presents is endangered. Rudolph becomes the unlikely hero when his nose lights the way for Santa to fulfill his journey and bring presents to children.
 
Sadly, expressions of shame and guilt directed at us and others, rarely have a happy ending. If we are truly honest, all of us have committed acts during our life journey that are not something we wish to discuss or want exposed. Even worse, we attempt to grade any one of them as better or more terrible than another. What a waste of time! How can you grade awful? The by-product of this behavior is condemnation and judgment. These hidden acts are not merely matters of outward activity, but they are a blight on the soul of the inner person. They become the consequences of our physical acts.
 
Far too often we fail to forgive ourselves or blame others. Like the Pharisees and scribes in the Old Testament, attitudes of self-righteousness, jealousy and bigotry may also encourage others, including loved ones, to remind us of our uncomely acts (past and present). Such a hateful practice triggers shame, fear, and prolongs forgiveness of self. A feeling of poverty and overwhelming guilt creates a vicious cycle like being on a continuous treadmill, but never reaching a goal. It is a resting place for death.
 
Fear is the foundation that feeds on the dead bones of our missteps.
God, on the other hand, provides a self-sacrificing love on which to dump our mistakes and skeletons. Jesus spoke of himself as “life” and offered an “abundant" life free of condemnation and tribunal judgment by another who has ‘stuff’ in his/her soul. (John 10:10; John 14:6; Romans 8:1)
 
This bountiful life requires an obligation by the individual to commit his/her will and accept God’s power that overcomes the contamination humanity has created.
 
We are light years from ever being perfect, so why not live out our journey in Him! Let God empty your closet! His love always seeks the best for humanity and is not influenced by worldly wealth, politics or social demands.
 
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus!”

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