By Glen Bowman, Minister at 3rd & Kilgore
We live in a world where we’re blessed with many things. Often people might offer us something because they already have too much stuff. The Bible says that there’s “a time to keep, and a time to cast away” (Ecclesiastes 3:6b). This could be for keeping or casting away anything, such as “a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together” (Ecclesiastes 3:5). First, we’ll look at some passages about keeping and giving that refer to physical possessions. Then, we’ll think about some other things to keep or cast away!
Psalm 37:21 teaches that “the wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives.” Giving generously is often connected to righteousness whereas hoarding physical treasures is connected to evil (e.g., Luke 12:13-21; Matthew 6:19-21). We should give in a sacrificial way, because if you “share what you have…such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16). In doing this, we should not give “reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). We should give cheerfully, knowing that we’re blessing someone else and act out of love!
In addition, you can never outgive God, because He “will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Much of our giving should be focused on the poor, and God gives a powerful perspective on why. In Proverbs 19:17, it says that “whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.” What’s amazing is not just that God will bless us physically beyond what we give to the poor (Luke 6:38), but that He even blesses us with restoration of our health (Psalm 41:1-3). We probably can’t imagine all the good that God does if we willingly “cast away” items to benefit the poor!
Furthermore, there are things that the Bible mentions we should keep or cast away besides money or physical possessions. Youshould cast “all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). It describes this more in Psalm 55:22, where it says to “cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Don’t hold on to your problems…cast them all on God in prayer! When we do this, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Peace is something that we should always keep (Isaiah 26:3)!
Moreover, Proverbs 29:18 includes multiple things worth keeping. It warns against those who “cast off restraint,” and says that “blessed is he who keeps the law.” We must have restraint in what we keep, what we buy, and what we do! Sadly, many people don’t have self-control in these areas, and they later suffer from regret, buyer’s remorse, etc. However, if we keep God’s law, the Bible says that we’re blessed, and this theme is repeated throughout Scripture!
Finally, you should “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV). Another translation says to “guard” your heart with all “diligence,” which may give a clearer picture of how this should look. We don’t need to keep things in our heart that hurt us. Instead, we should be guarded in what we expose ourselves to, in order to have a clean heart and right spirit. If something is hurting us, it may be time to “cast it away,” if possible. Let’s keep our hearts and minds pure and cast away evil!
