Purging the Clutter
In my newsletter this is week I am going to talk about clutter. The topic may step on toes with some and with others it may just inspire those who struggle with it to think about new ideas on how to purge and get rid of the “things” that preoccupy the space. So would you say that you are among those who like to hoard or have a ton of stuff? Well, I can say I was a bit taken back when we were moving last week, I would have considered myself one who is pretty organized and who claims to be a person who purges often. However, when placing items in the throw away location, my pile kept getting bigger and bigger to eventually overflowing. In 22 years of living in the same location, it was easy to see that I had accumulated a bunch of stuff throughout the years that often times were not used very much. As I collected these various “things” it occurred to me that they were not needed and were not very useful. Collecting excessively made me aware that my mindset had to change when trying to determine what to keep and what to throw away because the “stuff” was not helping me to maintain my desire to have order. Have you ever been in this position yourself? Similarly, when thinking about our spiritual clutter the picture can look the same. What does spiritual clutter entail? Google states it like this: “Spiritualclutter includes the thoughts and worries that waste our time and energy. We have thousands of thoughts a day and many of them are the same mental clutter that we’ve had for days, months, or years. Take the time to recognize the beliefs you have about yourself that are holding you back.” These words are a great reminder that our minds do not need to allow space for the things that consume us and takes us away from connecting with God. We must purge these thoughts to make room for the things that fill us up in our spiritual house which edifies our heavenly Father. By doing so, we can obtain order in our lives that points us to the cross. So are you ready to purge the unnecessary clutter and be filled with eternal things?
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19
Chaplain Tracey Burns
Reflection Questions
1. Do you need to purge your mental closet and tear down some walls?
2. What other areas in your life do you recognize that preoccupies you with unnecessary clutter?
3. How will you determine what stays or what goes when thinking about the things that consumes time and mind?
4. Will you take the necessary steps to ensure you are being filled up with “things” that will help you grow?
Bonus: Great song (if you are interested listen to this and ask), Do you ever ask the Lord to “Fill Me Up”