Defragmentation

Yesterday, I did a 'spring clean' on my old and slow laptop. 

In the trade, it is called 'defragmentation'. It seems to take ages, but what happens is that the clever computer tidies up everything in its memory, so that things work better and faster. 

The same thing happens when I tidy up my study.

When I get round to putting all the books from my shelves back in the right place and when all my papers are properly filed - instead of stuff being everywhere, and difficult to find - then my working practices are much easier and quicker!

In both cases, getting rid of the clutter and rubbish - old letters or half written-on scraps of paper - means that life becomes simpler. The rubbish is sorted, so that I can see everything in its proper light.

St. Paul described that same process in his own life. 'I once thought these things (his Jewish background and sense of national pride) were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as rubbish, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.'  (Philippians 3.7-9a)

In learning to trust Jesus, Paul found his own life defragmented. Instead of being in pieces, like Humpty Dumpty, he had discovered that Jesus had put him back together again. And that was a wonderful transformation.

During Lent, we have a chance and the challenge to do the same with our own lives. Nothing will happen for the better, if we don't take decisive action to address the worthless rubbish in our lives, and to take steps to deal with the attitudes and actions which don't help us following Jesus. This determined action will lead to us being able to grow in knowing Jesus better. And that is worth the effort. As Paul went on to say, 'I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.' (Philippians 3.12)

Best wishes,

Richard