Decluttering….Far More than Organizing
I am a pack rat.
I admit it – I keep all kinds of things. Drawings, papers, articles. The problem is, I don’t organize it well enough it find it, and soon forget I even kept it until I start weeding things out. So, at that point, you would think I would say, “Toni, you haven’t used this in X months/years, get rid of it,” right? Wrong.
Nope, I refile it with better intentions of using it, reading it, writing about it, etc. And, again, 6 months later…I run across it again. Some would say I need a better system. Some would be right.
Anyway, today is the day that I begin decluterring – again. So, I’m trying to toss things I don’t need. I’m getting better. I think I may even be able to overcome my addiction at some point in my life! But, it made me think of something else:
Jesus said that when we become His followers, we are no longer that which we were before, but are new creations. So, why then, do we tend to hang on to the “stuff” of our past for so long? Maybe for some its the pain of a divorce, or the shame of an immoral relationship…for others it could be the hurt of abuse, or the indignity of past addictions. The truth is, no matter how early in our lives we came to Christ, we all have a past as a sinner. And, the instant we trusted in the power of the blood of the Lamb to forgive us for those sins, we became something new, something wonderful, something Divinely inhabited by the Holy Spirit.
So, why do we allow Satan to steal our joy by holding on so closely to those things we need to toss from our lives? I believe part of it lies in lack of forgiveness. Jesus said we are to forgive others, and He said that if we do not forgive, He cannot forgive us. Who are we to say, “I can’t forgive myself for _____________,” when the One who created us, says, “I freely forgive you”? Dare we put ourselves above God and say our judgment is stronger than His? God forbid!
I believe part of it lies also in familiarity, though. Even though those things are something we would gladly do without, comfort sometimes makes it hard to let go. Think about it – an old, tattered, soft, worn-out t-shirt is so comfortable. You wouldn’t wear it in public, and its threadbare, but you keep it simply because its comfortable. We are so afraid of getting rid of the familiar sometimes that we miss out on the Divine! With the t-shirt – God wants to replace it with a robe of pure white! A white that we can’t comprehend! But, we’re content to hang on to the tattered, worn-out t-shirt with the stains all over it.
I am pleading with each one of you – get on your knees – get on your face before the Lord of the universe and ask Him to reveal anything Satan is using to rob you of your joy in salvation. And ask Him to remove it, completely.
Most importantly: let Him remove it.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
More than you can imagine!
For anyone who knows me, you know that the biggest struggle for me comes from covetousness. Satan knows EXACTLY where to hit me – right between the eyes every time. Bigger house, newer car, nicer clothes, motorhome, a boat, etc – these are all things I’d love to have. Yet, I know that being a believer in Jesus Christ does not guarantee me any earthly treasure. However, sometimes knowing and letting go are two very different things.
At church tonight, one of our elders spoke about Heaven. He spoke mainly about the New Heaven, the one to come after the Great White Throne Judgment. Fellow believers, let me tell you, this is EXACTLY what I needed to hear.
Do you realize the sheer size of the holy city of Jerusalem when it comes down to earth at that time? Even if it were built just like human cities, the size alone would astound even the most skeptical of critics. Fifteen hundred miles wide, long, and high! This city is a 1500 mile cube! Not only the size, but consider this: the paving material is, as our elder put it, “the most prized possession in the world today – gold.” But, this isn’t the kind of gold on your wedding band. In comparison, that’s cheap. This gold is so perfectly pure that it is like glass.
Then, there’s the “pearly” gates. First, imagine how enormous gates for a city such as this would be. David said that 1500 miles would cover the USA from the Canadian border into Mexico, and from the Mississippi River into the Pacific Ocean. Now, imagine that height as well. So, again….how big do those gates have to be? And each one is created from a single pearl. I don’t know about you, but I had heard the pearly gate thing before, and have read it. But, when I really think about the SIZE of it, the wonder comes back again. One pearl equals one gate. Unfathomable.
The foundations of 12 different precious jewels. I think maybe the idea here is that God uses what we perceive to have immense value as building materials. But, when you think about it, it makes sense. God sees more value in us than He does those jewels.
So, how does this tie into the covetousness thing? Glad you asked.
On one hand, it doesn’t. It is simply a wonderful reminder of what awaits us in Heaven when we get to see our blessed Saviour.
However, on the other hand, I needed to hear it tonight, because this week has been one of those weeks I have really struggled. On this hand, this reminder taught me something…something simple, yet very profound hit me as I listened. Maybe, just maybe, I’m like Fanny Crosby. She once said that if she had the chance, she would have been born blind all over again. Why? Because the first face she would ever see would be that of her Saviour, Jesus. Now, I have my eyesight, hearing, full use of my arms and legs, but maybe there is still a correlation: not having everything I long for here on earth means that when I get to Heaven, it will be that much better.
Yeah, right now we live in a mobile home…hey, we’re adults, let’s call it what it is…we live in a trailer. But that does not define me. I buy clothes at Walmart, garage sales, and resale shops. But that does not define me. I drive a used minivan – and I still owe on it. But that does not define me. I do not have a perfect figure, and I am a diabetic. But, that does not define me.
What defines me is who I am in Christ. He has forgiven my sins! Even mine! And, everyday I wonder why. As humans, we are so caught up in what we do to deserve something, that we find it hard to understand how the Creator of the world can forgive us so freely – without us doing anything to “deserve” it. What defines me is knowing that I have a place secured in Heaven…that my Saviour went there to prepare a place for me, and is returning again to bring me home. How or when, only Heaven knows.
Either way, the song Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus says it perfectly, and I’ll leave you with these words, because tonight, the Lord used them to speak to me:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
