Confessions of a Clinger

Hello, my name is Tammy…and I’m a clinger!

A few weeks back I posted a series of confessions on my Facebook Page.

Confession 1: I cling to recipe and cookbooks. I almost never use them, but the idea of letting them go isn't comfortable so I cling tighter. 

Confession 2: I can't get rid of books. They stay in cabinets and on shelves, but I just can't seem to part with them. I have converted closets into shelving spaces to hold the mountains of books that I cling to. It's not that I have plans to read them again- to be honest, many of them have never been read and probably never will. 

Confession 3: I LOVE bags! So much so that on some forums my user name is Diva Bag Lady. I have bins of bags. I am kind of a bag snob though, and I seem to use the same one or two until they are shreds... never touching the other ones. Even though I don't use the others, I seem to cling to and find comfort in the fact that they are there. I can't let them go. 

I believe that clinging is part of our great design, but because of a fallen and sinful world we get confused and cling to the wrong things.

Jeremiah recognized this tendency: “Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5)

I’m not saying that my recipe books, bins of bags, and closets of books are idols but when I look at the definition of the word I honestly have to pause. The first definition of idol doesn’t convict me, but the second and third shake things up a bit.

Idol: 1. a. An image uses as an object of worship.

           b. A false God

        2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.

        3. Something visible but without substance.

Looking at the second definition I wonder what role my stuff plays for me. I adore my recipes, books, and bags. I don’t focus on them like Gollum in The Lord of The Rings as he hid in dark places stroking the ring and creepily stating “My Precious!”, but I definitely like them more than I should.

 

The third definition though is what got me. An idol is something that is visible, but without substance. I stated earlier that I cling to these things and find comfort in knowing they are there, but is it true comfort?  If it’s false comfort I have settled for, have these items taken the place of God in parts of my life? Have they become idols?

In Psalm 63:8 David cried out, “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” God is who I am to cling to. In clinging to Him, and not stuff, I can be truly comforted by my Father in heaven who is the great comforter.

I’m not telling you to go through and start purging the things you cling to. I am asking you to seek within yourself what you hope to gain by clinging to the stuff that clutters your world. From this day forward, I want to cling to God above all.

That being said; does anyone need some recipe books?