The Right Time to Unsubscribe

I don’t remember subscribing to the website How to Lose Belly Fat While Eating Milkshakes and Apple Pie, but I must have. The proof is in my Inbox. 

Daily. 

It’s also there in the twice-daily emails from the skincare website I visited once, just for the coupon.

If you don’t think this is a problem, just go on vacation somewhere with limited internet access, and see how quickly those annoying emails pile up. Forget coming home to a mountain of laundry that takes days to conquer; today’s reentry nightmare is the overflowing Inbox. 

But there’s hope! It’s called Unsubscribe. 

Unsubscribe is my new favorite link. 

It’s usually buried waaaaaaaaaaay at the bottom in teeny tiny print, but it’s there. US law requires that every commercial email contain a means to opt out, so most include an Unsubscribe link. When I get frustrated with bothersome, worthless emails that waste my time and energy, I go looking for that link. 

And it feels SO GOOD to click on that little gem and know I’ll no longer be bothered by fictitious, worthless, or counterproductive messages taking up precious space in my Inbox and stealing my time and energy from more worthwhile pursuits. 

Unwanted emails are a bother, but did you know that most of us are plagued by something much more dangerous than the worthless emails clogging our accounts? We have a supernatural spammer who delights in clogging the Inboxes of our minds with past sins, failures, and fears. His lies and worthless messages waste our time, drain our spiritual energy, and distract us from productive, positive pursuits. 

Rev. 12:10 identifies Satan as “the accuser of our brothers.” John 8:44 calls him “a liar and the father of lies.” But yet we listen to him. We believe his spam. And we allow his words to paralyze us. 

We forget there’s an Unsubscribe link. 

We find it in Ephesians 4: 22-32: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off (Unsubscribe) your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on (Subscribe) the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 

 The following verses show us how to do this: “Put off (Unsubscribe) falsehood and speak (Subscribe) truthfully to his neighbor (v. 25) 

"In your anger do not sin (Unsubscribe): Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (v. 26-27). 

 “He who has been stealing must steal no longer (Unsubscribe), but must work (Subscribe), doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need (v. 28). 

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths (Unsubscribe), but only what is helpful for building others up (Subscribe) according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (v. 29) 

“Get rid of (Unsubscribe) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice (v. 31). 

 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other (Subscribe), just as in Christ God forgave you (v. 32). 

Unfortunately, getting rid of 
the spiritual and emotional spam in our minds’ Inboxes isn’t as easy as clicking a button. It’s a lifetime process of filling our minds with God’s Word and diligently applying it to our lives. 

As we base our actions and reactions on what we know to be true from Scripture instead of what our thoughts and emotions lead us to believe, we are no longer hindered. Instead, we are Spirit-filled, productive believers, ready for the good works God has prepared for us to do.  

What kind of spiritual spam do you need to Unsubscribe from? Will you do it today? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment box below. If you're reading by email, CLICK HERE to comment.

Matthew West's "Hello, My Name Is" sums it up nicely. If you're reading by email, CLICK HERE to enjoy the video.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like What Comes Out When You're Squeezed?

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