Spiritual Expiration Reflection
I woke up thinking about the word expired. Almost immediately, the GEICO commercial came to mind—the woman cleaning out the refrigerator, saying, “Expired. Expired. Expired.”
That moment made me pause and ask myself: What does my spiritual refrigerator look like?
The people, places, habits, assignments, and relationships I draw substance from—are they still nourishing, or have they quietly passed their expiration date?
This is an easy concept to accept in the natural. We don’t argue with spoiled milk. We don’t negotiate with moldy leftovers. But when we shift this idea into the spiritual realm, things get murky—because time, attachment, history, and emotion get involved.
Yet what if we asked the hard but holy question:
“God, who… what… and where in my life is now expired?”
When milk expires, it tells a story. There was a season when it was good. It had value. It served its purpose and provided benefit. But once it expires, nothing can restore its former usefulness. No prayer, no wishing, no stretching the date. That’s a hard truth—but it’s a solid one.
So many of our frustrations come from trying to carry people, places, things, assignments, and relationships beyond the season they were designed for. We keep reaching for what once nourished us, wondering why it now makes us sick.
Here’s the key: we don’t set expiration dates—only the manufacturer does.
And just as we trust the date printed on the carton, we must learn to trust the timing and wisdom of God. But instead, we fight it. We ignore it. We justify it. We negotiate with it.
Expiration does not mean something was bad, wrong, or a mistake.
It simply means no longer.
When we shift our perspective, expiration becomes an invitation—not to loss, but to alignment. We can ask God to help us grieve, process, and release—but we must also be willing to embrace what comes next.
Because letting go of what has expired always requires openness to change.
And change always requires new.
Original writing by MaShani Allen
© 2025 MaShani Allen | The Golden Scribe Ink
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