Do you ever look around at your house and wish you could get rid of half the stuff you own?
I do, especially after times like this past weekend, when I led a retreat for moms and stayed in a really nice hotel room for two days. With only the room furnishings and the items in the carry-on-sized suitcase I’d brought with me, I did just fine. In fact, it was kind of nice to spend two whole days in a place that was clean and uncluttered.
When I got home, I found that after two days of more spartan living, my house seemed even more cluttered than it had before I left. Now, I’m wishing I could somehow go through my home and get rid of at least half the stuff we own. Maybe more.
It’s not that our house is bad, by American standards. It’s just that I really enjoyed living with the basics for a little while, and I’d like to get closer to that in our home. I am more at peace when my home is uncluttered and neat. If giving up a bunch of stuff is what it takes to make that happen, I think it just might be worth it.
For that matter, I’d probably benefit from de-cluttering my spiritual house, too. Maybe you’d like to clean out yours, as well. Let’s look at three things we could get rid of.
First, let’s get rid of anything out of place that might trip us up. Just as leaving toys on the floor can cause us to fall, so can leaving sins lying around. When I see toys lying around, I’m tempted to leave them there until I can do something about them later—or until I can get somebody else (namely, the kids) to do something about them. Leaving sins undealt with until some future time, or hoping someone else will do something about them, however, is even worse than leaving a toy in the middle of the living room floor. If I trip over the toy, I might hurt myself, though probably not very badly. But if my sin trips me up, the risk of spiritual damage is far greater.
Next, let’s get rid of the books on our shelves that contain information that is inaccurate. We have a beautiful set of built-in shelves in our home that my husband constructed when we were remodeling the dining room. Most of those shelves are filled with books. Many of the books contain teachings based on the truth of God’s Word. But if there were any that espoused ideas that were actually contrary to Scripture, I would want to get rid of those. Likewise, we need to get rid of the books in our spiritual shelves that are filled with Satan’s lies. Books with titles like You’re Worthless or God Doesn’t Love You or You’re a Terrible Mom. Wherever these lies came from, whether our parents or society or somewhere else, they originated from the pit of hell. Satan loves it when we keep these books on our shelves, and especially when we read them over and over again. They’re his favorites, too. So let’s get rid of them and replace them with titles like You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made or God is Madly in Love with You or You’re a Great Mom.
Third, let’s get rid of anything that’s no good anymore: the leftovers in the fridge that have been there too long, the expired medications, the clothes that can’t be mended, the furniture that’s no longer sturdy. These things were good for you at one time, but not anymore. Now they’re either of no use to you, or outright harmful. Spiritually speaking, perhaps you have some relationships that need to be reevaluated in terms of how much contact you should continue to have with that person due to the way they treat you or the influence they have upon you. Maybe there are some activities your family participates in that, while not bad in and of themselves, are not longer suitable for your family’s interests or schedule. Is there a goal you’ve been trying to reach that you need to realize is not God’s will for you? Get rid of it too.
If I were to get rid of a large portion of the things my family and I own, I would enjoy the simplicity and peace of having to deal with fewer possessions. If I clean my spiritual house, I know I will receive even greater benefits. You will too, if you clean yours.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a more intimate relationship with God? Wouldn’t you love for your soul to be more relaxed and at peace?
Clean your spiritual house.
Daniel 12:10—Many shall purify themselves and make themselves [spotless] and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.