4:34 – Goal: Inbox Zero

#faithbites #faithjourney inbox

Setting

Today, for the first time in a long time, I consciously noticed that my work email inbox was at 579. Yes, I’ve read most of them but they were still there. While I didn’t hit the goal of inbox zero, I did get it down to 170 in about 10 minutes. So over 400 messages gone. 400 things that while I didn’t think about them every day, were still there. Do you often have things, be it email or other, that while you aren’t consciously working on them, they are there?

Today’s questions: How do you handle those things that drain your energy and don’t provide value? How can you move towards inbox zero?

Scripture

• Ecclesiastes 3:6 – A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
• James 4:7 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Reflection

It’s often hard for us to remove clutter. We think we need to hold onto it or we will miss something. Email is the same way at times. What if I delete it and I need it? What if I miss out on something? A friend of mine once told me that if it’s important, it will come back again.

Sure, we are using the example of having an empty email box as having a clean slate, but it doesn’t stop there. If we apply this to faith, the same applies. Imagine if we cleaned out the activities that weren’t helping us? What if we deleted those behaviors that hurt our relationship with Christ? Imagine if we looked at each new day as an inbox zero given from God? The awesome thing is that all of these are true!

God through his word, told us what things were should delete. Christ, through his sacrifice, gave us forgiveness or inbox zero. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to make these changes through faith. All we have to do is strive to get rid of those things that are holding us back. And rest assured, if it is something that God wants you to do, it will come back to you. He will give you another opportunity.

As we close, how will you reach your goal of temptation/hinderance inbox zero?

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for giving us a fresh start every day. Thank you for helping us see that there is much in our lives that we don’t need. Jesus, we pray that you help us see the clutter and give us the strength to delete it from our lives just as you forgive and delete sin. We are in awe of your gifts. Lord, hear our prayers. In your name, Amen.