Forgive Us Our Trash Baskets and Others Trash Put in Our Baskets
  (Forgive Us Our Trespasses, As We Forgive Others Their Trespasses)

By Vickie G. Paver

I recently received some prayers of children praying the Lord's Prayer. As I read the delightful and funny prayers I saw that one particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets." What a good interpretation for today!
 
The world is full of trash. Many Christians have become thick-skinned and unmoved about much of the world's trash. So we just keep gathering it up in our baskets, never releasing it to the Lord. Never emptying the trash that dirties up our hearts and minds. Let's face it.  We have all been there at one time or another.
 
Some of us watch television programs that we consider okay for Christians to watch. Our mentality becomes the same as our children's when they whine to us, "Everyone else is doing it." We have become so hardened to programs that are full of sex, violence and ideas that are clearly "new age." It is hard to find programs worthy of our viewing these days, but if we make a conscious effort we can do it. One hindrance to choosing good programming is that we have gotten so used to being entertained with shocking, way out, wild, uproarious, blow them up, scare me entertainment, that we find other programming boring. Boring is something we do to ourselves. We have to choose to engage our brainpower when choosing, not to just mindlessly let ourselves be entertained. We could even turn off the television and spend quality time with our spouse and families. Now that is a unique idea! (g)  Nevertheless, this is one way that we gather trash (sin) into our minds and hearts.
 
Television is not the only way that we collect garbage. We can collect it through the books we read, the things we listen to (jokes, off color remarks) or by accepting (mindlessly) others mindsets or actions that are totally against the Word. There is strength in setting up boundaries and not allowing these kinds of things to clutter our minds and hearts. It takes courage and forgiveness to get rid of the trash that others throw on us. We can forgive their "trash" and yet keep them from putting their trash into our baskets.
 
Have you ever had anyone swear at you and call you foul names or gesture at you in a foul manner? One time my husband and I were driving along and, without warning, a man in the opposite lane gestured at us in a manner that was foul and disturbing. We could have handled this in a couple of ways. We could have let it invade our minds to the point that we were upset all day over it. Instead, we forgave this man and prayed for God to forgive him. We then FILLED our minds with good things the rest of the day. At different times in our life we have also had hurtful words thrown at us. Some things take a little longer to forgive and to come to terms with; yet, God is faithful in allowing us to not let this trash stay in our trash baskets. I'm sure everyone has had similar experiences. What do you do with them? Do you let them stay in the trash bin or do you empty it and give it to God?
 
We can forgive and yet set boundaries and not let others spill their garbage over on us. It is healthy to be able to keep boundaries in place, doing the right thing in the right way. If that means not being around people who talk and act this way, then that is what it means. If it means distancing ourselves from someone who has no respect for our belief in Christ, then do it. But we must make sure that we do not let bitterness grow in our heart and mind. We really can forgive and love and yet not let other people's "trash" --- trash our lives. Search the Word, pray and ask God for wisdom. He will give it.
 
One last word about "trash." What about the "trash" we put in other people's trash baskets. We talked about the trash we put into our own baskets and about what others put into our basket. But what about what we put in other people's baskets? We are human and do throw trash at other people.  We throw trash at people who get in our way (in the way of getting our own way) perhaps it is our spouse, or our children or even those we see daily at the job or while shopping. We may be cruel or sarcastic in our remarks. Or perhaps we just don't feel like being kind that day because we are tired or in a hurry, so we dump unkindness and rudeness on those we pass by, never giving it a second thought. Maybe we are just into careless living and do something wrong that hurts the person who sees it or the one who hears about it. We need to be careful that what we do does not cause someone to go on a downward path because of our sin. We need to think before we do something and then choose to do the right thing. Trash is trash no matter how we look at it and we need to be careful about throwing our trash on other people. We need to get rid of it and throw it God's way to forgive and seek to keep our baskets trash free. We all need wisdom for our words and our actions and Christ can give that wisdom through His Word. Let's seek His way and not ours.
 

In Philippians 4: 6-8 Christ tell us, "6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
  

 --- All scripture taken from the NKIV