Sometimes the random comments from someone you barely know strike a rich theological tone within us. A few weeks ago, I took our 2-year-old puppy Nessy to the vet to get her updated on all of her shots. While helping to hold her for the vet, I mentioned that we had her scheduled for the following week at the clinic for her to get fixed. Her reply struck me as true at a much deeper level than she ever meant it to.

She replied back to me, “That’s good! If she is not using it, it’s just something that is taking up space and can become cancerous.” On the surface it makes sense, right? We have no intention to ever breed her (even though the puppies would be adorable) so this is ultimately good for her health long term.

Well, we finished up giving her all of the shots she needed that day and I took her home but continued to ponder the vet’s remarks. What if her statement was true in a much more general sense? Were there things in my life that were just taking up space? Things that were of no benefit but carried the potential of harm in the future?

I began to think first of the things I keep around the house. Do I clutter my living space with things that bring no real benefit but only serve as a distraction? Do I have possessions that take up space and only serve to get me off track and to lose focus?

There is much more to us than just what we have though. What about the things I do and speak? Were there things I do on a regular basis that just take up space in my schedule and provide no real benefit? I can certainly waste time as well as anyone else. Time is one of the most precious things we can be robbed of and we must steward it well.

Are there ministries that I am continuing to do that have outlived their useful lives? Do they just take up space and threaten to become things done because of “tradition” or become more sacred to us than the God we serve?

Are the words I speak useful? Do they provide a benefit to others or glorify God or do they merely take up space? If I speak excessively, it is only a matter of time before something unintentionally harmful is spoken. Proverbs 10:19 instructs us that, “When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable, but one who restrains his lips is wise.” Many other verses in the Bible say the same thing in different ways.

At the end of the day, we are here for a reason and for a purpose. God has called us to love Him and to love our neighbor through deepening relationships and service. In our busyness, we become cluttered with much that does not serve any real good.

What is in your life that is merely taking up space and can become cancerous?

People’s Evangelical Congregational Church is located at 216 Wagner St., Lehighton.