Cleaning Out the Excess

"Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete purity because we fear God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

I don't know about you, but I love to be organized. I love to have only the basic necessities, nothing more, nothing less.

For me, everything has a home, a place, and if it is in the house, it is of use. If it is not of use, well... 

It doesn't stay in our home long.  

Now, this can sometimes be a good or bad thing, depending on who you talk to-my husband or me. 

When G was a football coach we moved quite a bit. After the second move, I told him that my goal was to move our entire house in ONE U-Haul. I am proud to say when we left Jasper and moved to Midland, we did it! (Throw the confetti)

Since we have moved into our new house, for some reason, maybe all the busyness, things have been extremely unorganized.

So as I have begun to get our lives back in order and running the way we function best, I have realized just how much clutter we have, and how much purging needs to be done.  

When my husband hears purging, he gets really nervous or excited (If crawfish are involved), because he knows that means things are going to go.  

And if you know my sweet man, he likes stuff! He also loves our home to be organized and functioning in a positive manner. 

As long as I can remember I have loved being organized. I use to re-organize my closest growing up, over and over again.

But as far as getting rid of things, that didn't come until later on in life. I remember when God spoke to me about this issue; He has made a lasting impression on me.  

I was studying the life of the Israelites. They had just crossed the Red Sea and were beginning their journey through the wilderness. As I studied the journey and the lives of God's people, I noticed something about their journey and the Lord that really began to stir within me. 

They traveled with the bare minimum and God only provided the things they needed at the times they needed it. Wow! 

"For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals did not wear out. You had no bread or wine or other strong drink, but he gave you food so you would know that he is the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 29:5-6

When I read this passage, the stirring stopped, and I realized, all these things sitting in our attic, in closets, etc. that were just sitting there needed to go.  

I was convicted.

So I began to pray and ask God to forgive me for spending money on things that we didn't need, that didn't benefit Him, and that we bought only for that temporary pleasure.  

We don't need excess. We don't need to buy things only to put it somewhere to sit for the next however many years.  We don’t need to waste our money on things when we could be investing in Him and people. 

God would provide for us. He revealed that to me through His Word, and He revealed it to G when He opened the door for me to stay home and raise our boys.
 
So that day it began. The purging, the cleansing, and the purifying within me, within our home, and in our finances began. I will tell you not all of those things happened right away. They took time and they are re-occurring, and it's time for it to happen again.

 Over the next however many weeks, we will begin this process of cleansing, purging, and purifying our...
 
1. Hearts

2. Thoughts/Minds

3. Bodies

4. Homes

5. Time
     -To-do lists/priorities/busyness.

6. Finances

 There will be pictures, TONS of God’s Word, steps, tips, and items we use in our home that help us honor God, stay organized, and God focused. 

Do you have some areas in your life that need to be cleansed, purged, and purified?
 
How do you stay organized, clutter free, God-focused, and purified?