Get rid of what is no longer serving you.
It’s been a catch phrase for quite some time now. Interestingly enough, most times we hear and use the phrase around relationships, friendships, employment, etc. Presumably it’s other people and their ways, their words and their actions that don’t serve us well.
However, I had an interesting revelation a few days ago that is too good not to share. While we don’t mind placing the responsibility of what is no longer serving us on other people, there are times where that which is no longer serving us … is us. Insert the mind blown emoji here. If those words hit you the way they hit me, it’s OK to pause and take a deep breath.
I’m certain there are now questions of how are you no longer serving yourself? Glad you asked. Before answering, I’ll add to the question for clarity’s sake: How are you no longer serving yourself well? I can’t fully answer that question for you, but I can guide you in the right direction.
Take a moment to think about the last time you patronized your favorite restaurant. You’re seated at a table. You take a look at the menu. Your waiter comes to the table, takes your order and continues on their way. Your food arrives. Your waiter doesn’t return to the table to refill your drink or ask if your food is to your liking. You don’t see your waiter again until it is time to settle the bill. You were served, but you weren’t served well. Subsequently, the next time you visit your favorite restaurant, you’ll be sure to avoid that particular server.
We do the same thing to ourselves. The irony is the way in which we do not serve ourselves well is not grand and dramatic. It’s in the simple things, such as the food we eat, the company we (continue) to keep, environments in which we place ourselves, the way we speak to ourselves and so on.
Now take a moment to answer the questions:
What are you eating that is no longer serving you? Who are you keeping company with and what environments are you placing yourself in? What words are you speaking to yourself or allowing yourself to hear? If you’re honest, the answers to those questions were likely not serving you in the first place. What’s the use of holding to hinderances?
Oh, right, there is none.
Do yourself, your present and your future a favor by hosting a personal reality check and evaluation. Make a list. Check it a few times. Then act accordingly. While you’re in your evaluation process, remember this is about you. It’s not always everyone and everything else. There are times when it’s us … you and me. Take ownership of those facts and make the change. Be disciplined with the change. Be gracious with yourself. Give God the opportunity to do exceedingly, abundantly above what you think you’ll miss. God is so good at giving us better than what we had before. Haggai 2:9 and Job 8:7 both speak to the latter being better than the former. Yet we can’t access the better latter if the space is being taken up by what no longer serves us. We deserve to be served well, but first and foremost, we deserve to serve ourselves well.
Rae Karim, formerly chapel director at Christian Theological Seminary, is now pastor at First Christian Church of Honolulu. She can be reached at pastoraefcc@gmail.com.
