Give it up

The other day we were at our property.  As we drove into the path leading to the cabin, we noticed that our neighbor was clearing out some of his land.  He has been doing this for weeks and we are finally beginning to see a difference.

As we traveled up, we noticed the vast number of trees and branches on our property that need to be removed.  Some fell to the drought a couple of years ago, some just fell due to the lack of attention. There are also numerous cactus and cedars that need to be removed.

My husband and I made it up to our cabin and saw the successes of two individuals wanting to clean a large piece of property.  This time, the grass needed to be mowed, weeds needed to be dealt with, a drain pipe needed to be replaced-that's another story-and MY project... a tin roof from a carport needed to be taken down.

We did a lot of work! We trimmed and hauled and burned and everything else in between.  We cleared out weeds knee high and finally, we were at the tin roof-my project.  I say "my project" because my husband's projects usually have to do with "functionality" mine have to do with "appearance."

That tin roof was an eyesore! I didn't like pulling into the drive and seeing that tin roof dangling from the side of the workshop.  Oh don't get me wrong, I like tin roofs but this one was falling in on one side, the wood that held it up was rotten and it had no purpose but to distract the eyes.

So I began my mission of taking it down.  I pulled nails from the bottom row thinking "that was easy!" then I moved on to the next row....easy again. I found that it had loosened up enough to just pull it right off so I tugged, pulled, jerked and finally decided that one single nail held it at the top close to the roof.  It didn't matter how much I tried, it was not going to give. As much as I wanted to do this myself, I would reluctantly need my husband's help. The nail was close to the top and out of my reach. I had to resign to the idea that I simply could not do it alone.  I had to give it up.

Be at as it may, when my husband finally started taking the tin roof down, I began stacking it in a neat pile.  My husband asked what I was going to do with it and I said "keep it of course!"  Being the DIY restoration project individual that I am, I saw purpose for this rusted broken tin.  My husband said "just get rid of it we can always get brand new tin" but not wanting to do that, I stacked it neatly in a pile.

The tugging and pulling continued with my husband taking down and me piling up the tin and burning the rotten wood.  You see, my husband was now doing all the work, but I still had the choice of what stayed and what I gave up.


We often want that role.  When we are knee deep in things that distract our eyes, affect our life, and interfere with our walk with Christ, we want God to step in and help us but we want to make the decisions as to what stays and what goes.  God's word is very clear about what is expected for a Godly life.

We often come up against things that are an "eyesore" or offensive in God's eyes.  We may need cleaning and may need removal of certain things in our life.  Unfortunately too many times we try to do it ourselves and fail.  Rather than turn it over to God, we try in our own human efforts to remove the offensive but due to our weaknesses may find it impossible to do. 

We want to rid ourselves of these offenses, we want to walk a Godly life but we hesitate in asking God for help because we think we can do it ourselves and we may fear He might make us get rid of all of it with no choice of what we get to "keep."  We choose to keep the "old stuff" when God stands ready to replace it with a brand new life,  if we only call out to Him.  In my case, pride stood in the way. I didn't want my husband to think that this "girlie-girl" couldn't do it. Such is the case with God....we often think we can handle our own life and live a pure and holy life ( 2 Peter 3:11)  as He calls us to do but that is impossible without the hand of God leading us.


After several hours, we stepped back to look at the work and were pleased that the area was now cleared of weeds, the tin roof was down and the rotten had been discarded.  What a relief to see the beauty of the place now and it began with me recognizing that I was incapable of doing it on my own,  I could not do it without the help of my husband.

Let God tear down the sin in your life that you are incapable of doing on your own strength.  Give it up!   Merely call out to Him and watch the work that He will do in your life for a clean heart and a pure walk. 

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  From His temple, He heard my voice my cry came before Him into His ears.  Psalm 18:6

You were taught with regard to your former way of life; to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitudes of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24