Trade Ya!

Recently, I had the opportunity to fully enjoy a Saturday with absolutely nothing to do.  Which, in my case, is a rare opportunity.  While perusing through the TV with my feet propped on my couch, I came across a classic, 1989 John Hughes American comedy film, Uncle Buck.  In this film, there’s a scene where a kid is unpacking his lunch box in the cafeteria at a lunch table full of his peers.  To his surprise, his Uncle Buck packed the lunch full of very uncanny and distasteful lunch items.  One item of note was a can of sardines.  After carefully unpacking these lunch items, he boldly asks his peers if anyone would like to trade their lunch with him.  With an insecure tone, he asks “trade ya’?”.  Every kid at this table, ran to other distant tables in the cafeteria, leaving this kid alone with his distasteful lunch.  It was at this point in the movie when God asked me the same question; “Trade Ya’”?

While ministering Psalm 51 and the many items the Psalmist begged God to trade him, to include a clean heart and a right spirit, God told me that the blood shed by Jesus Christ was enough to cover the disgust of my sin in His eyes.  He now sees me through the blood of Jesus Christ that covers me and the covenant of Grace I now have with God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Because of this, I can now trade my sorrow for God’s joy!  I can trade Him His beauty for my ashes!  I can cast my cares at His feet and take His yoke upon me instead, which is easy and light!  I can trade my worry, fear, anxiety, depression for His peace, His voice leading and guiding me, and His Holy Spirit comforting me!  And because God is willing to make this trade, and because of His righteousness imputed to me, I now realize the choice is mine to make.  Since I am following Him and am eager to grow closer and more intimate with Him, why not?  Why not jump in and give Him all of me so that I can be consumed with all of Him? 

The choice isn’t just mine, it’s yours too.  He’s asking the question across the world.  Are you willing to trade up your life for the one He wants you live?  If so, God is saying to you today “Trade Ya”!