Purging clutter from our lives

One of the projects I set for myself this week was to clean out my closet and dresser and get rid of everything I don't wear anymore.

Then I came across a blog that linked to a weekly challenge at A bowl full of lemons.  This week's challenge is to  purge the unnecessary clutter from our lives.  How lovely that I've already started this challenge and didn't even know it!

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time hanging up the clean laundry, taking out what is no longer needed, putting away the winter clothes, and reorganizing the rest.  Then, because I was tired, I decided to take a break and get back to my work later.  It's now 24+ hours later and still the rest of the work remains to be done.  None of the dresser drawers have been cleaned or sorted, nor has the clutter been boxed up to be given away.

As I sat down to write this post, I realized how much we need to purge our spiritual life as well as our physical life.

Purge is defined as to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify.  A quick google search of the King James Version reveals the word purge is used 16 times, cleanse 34 times, and purify 13 times.  That tells me this action should be a very important part of our life.

The Lord purged the Promised Land of their enemies when they remain faithful. Priests had to cleanse themselves, purify themselves before they could enter into the Holy Place.  Jesus Christ gave His life for us, allowed His blood to purify us - purge us - of our sins.  Why then do we insist on keeping all this junk in our life?  Why do we hold on to the spiritual clutter that we know separates us from God?

He wants to heal us of our pains. He wants to have a deep and loving relationship with us but time and time again we deny ourselves of the joy that only He can provide by keeping the clutter close to us.   I don't know about you, but I'm horrible about moving clutter from one spot in my house to another, and I'm realizing I do this with my spiritual clutter too.  I sacrifice one thing that is cluttering up my relationship only to pick up something else that quickly becomes clutter.  As soon as I rid myself of the second clutter, I pick up a third.  When does it stop? What has to happen before we say enough is enough?

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.   1 Chronicles 29:17 (NLT)

The Lord knows my intentions are good.  I don't mean to pick up a new game when I just got rid of one. I don't mean to put a tv show in place of time reading Your Word, even though my intent was to give up that game to catch up on my Bible reading.  It just happened, and like I always do, I shrugged it off and said I'd do better tomorrow.  That was a lot of tomorrow's ago, but little by little I'm getting better. I'm focusing more the Word, I'm studying it, researching it, not just reading it.  I'm searching out new sources and new studies that can be shared with my friends and family.  I'm leaning on my husband more, relying on him to be the spiritual leader God says he is.  I'm learning that he has to grow and mature in his relationship with the Lord just as I do, and that it's okay if his relationship doesn't look much like mine.  I'm realizing that it's a good thing that our relationships are different because it gives us more to share and talk about, and I know he can always make me see something from a completely different perspective.  Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.  Psalm 26:2 (NLT)

Life certainly isn't picture perfect though. Our struggles with Andy continue on into the weekend, not very different than they were before the mid-week episode, but he is a little more respectful and a little more willing to do things without as much complaining as before.  We found out Friday that Alex's grades are very low, something that isn't acceptable because it means he's simply not doing his work.    As a mother, my heart breaks for my boys.   From where I stand, it appears that they are so wrapped up in the things of this world that they're not listening for God and they're not hearing Him when He calls to them.  I feel lost for a solution and know all I can do is keep letting them see me live my life for Christ and keep praying for them.  My faith is my only fortress right now; God will give me the strength to get through the struggles of the day.  I have taught my children to love the Lord and to walk in His will for their life and I have to trust in His promise that they will not depart from that, even when it doesn't look promising right now.

In the meantime, I'll continue to efforts to declutter my spiritual relationship and my home, even if I can only manage a little bit each day.