“Whatever means of persuasion he used was not from the One who calls you. 9 “It takes only a little hametz to leaven the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident that since you are united with the Lord, you will take no other view; and I am confident that the one who has been disturbing you, whoever he may be, will have to bear his punishment.” (Gal 5:8-10 CJB)
Removing the leaven
The big empty space on the desk pictured, in my home office, represents just one of several ways Yeshua (Jesus Christ) has started me down the path toward cleansing the spiritual leaven from my life just in time for Passover. What sat there was a giant computer monitor, keyboard and mouse belonging to my employer of over two years. It is empty because I finally sent the workstation back to said employer. Step #3 in also exiting the job. Step #3 is my attempt to cleanse the leaven (hametz) from my life which has caused much unrest, strife and (sigh) deep bitterness to enter into my sanctuary and bodily temple of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), from the very beginning of said employment. (Please understand, it is not typical “work stress” our team endures.)
It is a long, ugly story but the short version is this: I had to make a choice. Do I continue to allow this “leaven” (sin) to disrupt my life, or, do I let it go, trust YHWH (Adonai) to provide, and finally cleanse my sanctuary and temple of it?
Late last fall, YHWH provided me with a renewed purpose. I tried to quit the job. I tried to quit again almost a month ago. My employer simply wasn’t willing to let go of control. I was sending a message of expectation by shipping the workstation back, thus stating the “favor” I am doing him by staying on 10 hours a week until he replaces me, is indeed temporary. (I am able to do the tasks from my personal laptop.) I can tell you that I hadn’t touched the workstation in a while, however, earlier in the week I needed to use it and it was as though a spirit of bitterness immediately came over me. It was quite concerning!
Upon boxing up all of the equipment, a huge weight lifted from my spirit. It was all the confirmation I needed: I had made the right decision!
The next step is to shed myself of the actual desk which was given to me during my marriage. It is a reminder I do not need to keep from that season of my life.
Discerning leaven
Another area of my life Yeshua had been urging me to clean up was my book collection.
With the understanding I now have of God’s Word, owning some of the books labeled as Christian simply have to leave my possession. This took discerning what was leaven and was was acceptable in His eyes. Unfortunately, I cannot fully unload them until we, as a nation, are out from under this COVID-19 Shelter in Place mandate (because all but essential businesses are closed); regardless I have prepared by separating the books I know I am not to keep. In fact, I believe I’m supposed to dig deeper into the remaining books and clear out even more.
A few years ago I would have done this kicking and screaming, but thankfully I no longer have a need to keep things I no longer use. I hadn’t even read most of these books. Nearly all were gifted to me in some fashion. Growth is a magnificent thing to recognize in one’s own life. I used to hoard books and now have no connection to them. I now, happily, give them away.
I am wondering what additional leaven Yeshua may want me to cleanse from my home and life. Being free of things He deems unnecessary is truly a blessing!
“Don’t you know the saying, “It takes only a little hametz to leaven a whole batch of dough?” 7 Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach (passover) lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. 8 So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 CJB – [I encourage you to read the entire passage.])