The garage clear-out continues. Ever since a down-sizing house-move last year our garage has bulged at the seams. Boxes, bags, bits of metal, and pieces of wood that “might just come in handy” have been suspended from the ceiling, hung from the walls, and covered the floor.

We are in need of space in the garage. Hence the clear-out.  Last week I dug for treasure and discovered an unlabelled box. Inside was our old DVD recorder/player. Not only have we not used it since moving in, but it was not often powered up in the previous house. These days, with recordable TV and laptops with optical drives and HDMI cables, such a device is no longer needed, it is redundant.

I took a photo, posted it on freecycle, and within a day I had two requests. A chap came to the door and took our redundant technology away.  Looking at the smile on his face you might have thought he’d won the lottery. I’m happy for him, happy for having more space in the garage, and happy to keep something out of landfill – at least for a while longer.

The incident came back to me on Sunday while Richard Bailey was preaching. He spoke of the challenge to hold to something Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25 NIV11). Of course, this is fine when life is all sunshine, but what about when the clouds roll in?

Richard shared the story of his recent redundancy. He saw it coming, and felt the fear. The last time something similar happened he had no responsibilities. This time he had a wife, mortgage and child. Circumstances change how we feel. The desire to worry, rage and panic were real. We can probably all understand. Richard realised he was not at peace, so it drove him to significantly enhanced levels of prayer. God gave him such peace that when his boss confirmed the redundancy Richard felt a sense of joy rise up in him. It surprised him as much as anyone!

Perhaps the key to obeying the command to “not worry” is found in the fact that it comes with a promise. Another scripture used by Richard was from Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7 NIV11).

We’re not promised redundancy prevention, but we are promised a divine peace that passes understanding. The world may deem us unnecessary, irrelevant, superseded, outdated – basically, redundant. But to our Father we are loved, cherished, desired, precious, special and unforgettable.

I doubt the DVD player feels any sense of rejection, but I know I feel this from time to time, and I gather I’m not the only one. Has your sense of worth taken a beating recently? Has your wife or husband been less than understanding, your children less than grateful, your boss less than generous, your friends less than helpful?

Take a leaf from Richard’s book and pray less for change in circumstances and more for peace that passes understanding.

Now, back to the garage for another root-around for redundant technology!

I hope you have a wonderful week.

God bless,

Malcolm