by Margaret McNeil
Ecclesiastes 3:6 “There is a time to keep and a time to throw away.”
When Covid put the world into lockdown in 2020, I decided to use my newfound time at home to declutter and organize the house we’d lived in for almost two decades. No closet, drawer, cabinet, or bookcase was safe from me and my label maker. I didn’t go as far as Marie Kondo, the renowned organizing expert, and ask if the item sparks joy, but I did have my own criteria. If an item was chipped, cracked, stained, or unusable, out it went. Duplicates of books were donated to the library. Toys from Christopher’s younger days — except for a few favorites I kept for the day he has children — were donated to charity. Why do I have so many cupcake liners when I rarely make cupcakes? Why keep pictures I inherited from my parents when no one in the family knows who the people are? Do I really need 13 black shirts?
Like our home, our spiritual life also needs decluttering occasionally. An excellent way to do this is to spend daily time with God. Reading the Bible, praying, journaling, or whatever makes you feel closer to God, even if that means going fishing on the lake. Replace anxiety, evil thoughts, and bitterness with scripture reminding you that you are accepted, secure, and significant. Attending church connects us to God, strengthens us spiritually, and fosters a sense of community. I have to admit I struggle with this one. During the lockdown, watching services online at any time became too easy, but I’m trying to attend church more regularly.
As for my house, I have two more rooms to declutter. Before I can resume work on them, though, I need to buy more label maker tape.
Dear Lord, Help us know when we need to declutter our spiritual lives to strengthen our relationship with you. Amen.
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