Get It Out of My House

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 7:3

Imagine that I complained to you that I just couldn’t stop eating donuts. Every night, before bed, I’d lose control, go to the pantry, and eat five or six of them. At some, you’d have to ask why there were so many donuts in my pantry. Then, if you discovered that I work at a bakery, bringing donuts home every day – with no intention of eating them – you’d say I was nuts. If I don’t want to lose control and eat donuts every night, then I shouldn’t keep them in the pantry. As long as they’re in the pantry, they’re going to end up in my stomach. Get the donuts out of your house.

It’s an obvious solution when it comes to my donut problem, but you know where I’m going with it. I regularly meet those who wish to stop using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, who just can’t quite get rid of their supply and their paraphernalia. Yes, they want to quit, but deep down, they want to be able to use again if they really really need it. As long as it’s an option though, they’re never going to be free. To truly stop means doing whatever it takes to cut the connection to the drug. As long as it’s in their pocket or in their closet, it’s still in their lives.

Though it didn’t involve donuts or drugs, this was Samuel’s message to the people of Israel in today’s passage. In the story, Israel suffered under the Philistines, whom God had allowed to conquer Israel due to their sin. In their distress, God’s people cried out for deliverance. Samuel told the people that if they truly wanted to follow God, and if they wanted God to deliver them, then they must first get rid of their foreign gods and idols. You can’t serve God and false gods. It’s one or the other. If you want God, then get rid of the idols (my paraphrase).

Though the solution is often obvious – get that thing out of my house – it isn’t always so easy. If I need to cut all alcohol out of my life, but my spouse likes to drink, that will require uncomfortable conversations. If I can’t stop looking at porn on my smart phone, then my smart phone may have to go. If I want to stop eating donuts, but I work in a bakery, then I may have to change careers. Cutting our addictions out of our lives is rarely painless. Rather, it’s often quite traumatic. If we desire to be free of that thing though, then we must ask ourselves how far we’re willing to go and we must be willing to do whatever it takes to get it out of our house and out of our lives.