Today our eldest daughter came to visit and we decided to have a clean out of some boxes. The boxes held clothes, toys and lots of memories from our 6 children. There was lots of “Ohh, this is what you came home from the hospital in” and “such and such looked so cute in this”.
Lots of memories, and a little bit of sadness that they are all growing up on me. But that is life and like it or not we all must transition with the season of life we are in.
It got me thinking that life is full of times when we have to have a clean up. If we traveled through our whole lives without ever getting rid of, or sorting though anything we would have a serious hoarding issue.
Some people say the best way to de-clutter is to take everything out of the room you are sorting and lay it all out on the backyard. Then only take back inside what you really want to move forward with into the future.
Our inner world is much the same. To stay healthy God encourages us to have regular sorting and de-cluttering sessions. To simply surrender everything over to Jesus as we say, “You can have everything, I surrender all, so that you can fill my life with only what you want”. That’s a scary thought, but a very liberating experience if we will have the courage to trust Jesus enough to “go there”.
I think we can move through life gathering knowledge and experiences as we journey along. But there are times when God asks us to give everything we know and have learnt over to Him, and simply let Him lead the way; where we let go so that we might take hold of Him. Paul in the bible experienced this when he wrote “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him”. (Philippians 3:8).
Sometimes God even wants to dismantle some things in our lives, even if they have been good, so that He might build something better in us to carry us forward into the future.
Clean out’s, de-cluttering and allowing God to lead and build in whatever manner He sees fit, can and is challenging. But the reward is that we gain space in our hearts and minds to move forward. We all need to learn to interpret the seasons and times we are in. If we continue to try and live in the past, however good it may have been, we run the risk of missing the new season and blessing that God wants to release in our lives. It takes courage and trust to move forward, but we can trust that God has gone before us and has prepared the way.
Allow God to speak and bring revelation of what season you are in. It’s an exciting time to be walking with Jesus, and there is so much more to come. Take courage and make room in your life for Him.
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him-For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Prayer: Lord I thank you that you lead and guide me. Help me to see where I need to make room in my life for what you are wanting to do in and through me. I surrender all, that you might be all to me. In Jesus Name Amen.
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