I heard a good sermon recently, about “file folders.” I can
hear you yawning, but I’m serious. The preacher said we all have those things
in our minds, and everything we see, hear, taste, or experience in any way wind
up in an appropriately named folder.
For instance, many years ago I persuaded my husband to take
a tiny taste of olive oil because he was so suspicious of it. Don’t ask me why -
I don’t know. But unfortunately, I didn’t realize the oil was rancid. After a
good deal of spitting, pseudo-gagging, and recriminations, he filed “olive oil”
in his folder entitled, “Things I Really, Really Hate.”
Olive oil aside, we all collect file folders in our minds,
according to the minister. I believe we begin labeling them when we’re very
young and continue stuffing the file cabinet all our lives.
Some people never examine the contents of their folders –
they consider changing their minds about anything a sign of weakness – it also may
mean they were wrong about one or two things. Others, however, find that quite
a bit of refiling is needed through the years, even some trashing of entire
folders! Potential candidates for the waste basket: “Prejudices” (may be several
stuffed folders), “People I Can’t Stand/Forgive” (hopefully not multiples), “Things
I KNOW I’m Right About,” “My Unchangeable Interpretations of Scripture,” and so
on.
We must invite a supervisor for the file cabinet of our minds,
Someone to make sure our records please the Lord of our souls! In agreement
with God’s Word, the Holy Spirit refiles, adds new folders and gets rid of
contaminated ones. Thank you Jesus.
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