We typically think in concepts, and one key concept in scripture today is the idea of what to keep and what to toss out. That may seem like a simple thing, but consider carefully the world of a hoarder. To them, they feel they need to keep everything, so much so, in their world, all of their precious stuff they are so compelled to keep, causes them such misery and sometimes even death. Even in light of that, many of them still choose to keep everything they’ve gathered to themselves, even though they know it’s killing them.
What does God say we should keep, and what should we toss out? Once again, that may seem simple, but all that dividing up can be some very tedious thinking. God’s idea of the word “Keep” is to seize upon and hold tightly, and to guard closely and retain a watch over. Opposingly, the idea of to “cast out” or “NOT keep” is like when God did NOT keep Cain, as in did not retain and closely guard. To NOT keep can also imply to set aside as in retirement.
Similarly, there is a basic difference between those who work for salvation and those who believe God’s promises. If we want to work for our salvation and place in the Kingdom, we will be acting under our own steam, defending ourselves, getting the reward we think we should get, and to those, the Lord does not retain, whereas those who believe His promises, He keeps with all power.
i once moved to a large old house, storing all my oh-so-precious things in an upstairs room. There were old smiles framed in memories of way back when, long grown and gone, only coming to visit now and then. i saved boxes of clothes and books, magazines of styles and new looks, carefully saved, useless, this and that, and left over extra in sealed bags of knick-knacks, all just seemingly so important i just HAD to have them.
Five years later, i had not so much as rummaged through that stuff and wanted to use the room as a spare bedroom. i found myself grieving over the idea of “What if i need such and such?” or, “That was my old jacket from high school, maybe i could use it.” My son shared His wisdom with me in the moment, saying, “Dad, if you haven’t needed it or thought about it in 5 years, chances are very good you can get rid of it and never miss it.”
There are things which are tenative, and things to seize upon and hold tightly, things to guard closely and retain a watch over, as well as others to let go from our grasp and allow to retire altogether. i’m not going to go through a list of things to keep and things to retire, that’s for you to decide. But what i am going to do is talk about what God says is valuable to keep.
Keep yourselves in the love of God, and have mercy on those who doubt. That is keep in the sense of hedge around and guard, protect and attend, attend meaning to nurture, like someone growing a garden. Keep, as in “keep my commandments” comes with the idea to not hedge around and hold captive, but to cultivate, tend carefully, hear the counsel of the Lord and let it change your heart that you would be fruitful and prosperous. i really like that one. It pertains to a man who “keeps a wife”, meaning he should bless her, cultivate and watch over with kindness to cause her to prosper and be fruitful, not fence her in and hold her captive.
Keep the charge of the LORD, actively conducting yourself in His ways, keeping His statutes, in other words “yield and allow His words to persuade your heart”, and in that same sense we keep His commandments, His rules, and His testimonies, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. “Keep” and “keeping”, as in observe and actively guard, with “His ways” as a different word than “His statutes”, as a different word than “His commandments”, as a different word than “His rules” or “His testimonies”. It means to prefer His preferences and standards above our own and you know, you can tell an awful lot about someone by merely observing their preferences. To “keep the charge” is to exercise great care and devotion to what the Lord has asked of you, and let other things fall to a lower level of importance.
We have to keep our body or practice some self-control. Let us keep in step, or march in time with the Holy Spirit. Practice to keep awake with all perseverance, meaning don’t let your eyes get used to the dark. Keep, or in this case, focus your eyes on the Lord and those who are a good example of how to walk uprightly. Let the peace of Christ keep you in perfect tune with God. Keep away, or guard yourself to not frequent the places and people who disrupt the unity of the Body of Christ, 2 Thessalonians 3:6. Keep God’s preferences and standards and walk (or conduct yourself) in a way which doesn’t dishonor yourself or your testimony with “keep” meaning again, to yield and let God’s words persuade your heart. God wants your heart not your rule keeping. Keep, guard and defend your conversation and style from the love of money. Keep God’s prescription for His idea of health and prosperity.
There are many more things to keep as God sees them to be important. What the Lord has to say is far, far more important than what men say. Let me encourage you, you go look it up and find out what to keep and what to let go. Let us unclutter our lives.
i think this next part is so important here it is again. Consider: In Matthew 19:17, Jesus said to “keep the commandments”. i must admit, most folks want to lay severe penalties against others if they’re found not doing the law, but the word Jesus used there really does mean “keep”, but with the implication of not “something to be fenced in” but more “to aim at something” rather than “if you don’t do it to the letter God is going to get you.” It more means “keep” in the sense of a man who grows a garden, cultivates it, fertilizes it and causes it to be fruitful. NOT just do the rules, but allow yourself to be persuaded and yield, and let God’s counsel persuade you and make you to be fruitful. Did you get that? Yield. Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Do we think He’s tricking us or lying somehow? No… never. He would not ask us to do this thing if it were not possible. Selah.
What do you think?