Get rid of it!


The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past. --Marie Kondo


Marie Kondo is becoming a household name. People turn to her for help de-cluttering their homes and their lives. Seems to me, society as a whole could use the Kondo touch.

Kondo’s basic principle goes something like this: As you go through your clutter, hold each item in your hand. If it no longer sparks joy, get rid of it.

What if we were to take this approach with our ways of thinking? Even our ways of thinking about God? What if we paused to think about some of those cherished beliefs we may have held since childhood and asked ourselves: Does this still “fit” the person I’m becoming? Have I “outgrown” this way of thinking or believing?

Changing the way we think can be very, very hard—and very, very necessary. When was the last time you stepped back and asked yourself why you believe what you believe (and not just about God)? Were you brought up believing certain things based on a person’s age, or gender, or race, or even the neighborhood they lived in or the school they attended?

Time to take a closer look. Hold those ideas up to the light and examine them more closely. Are they true, or simply comfortable or convenient? Take time to reflect on whether these beliefs are helpful or hurtful. And if they’ve lost their sparkle, you know what you need to do. 

Get rid of them!


Monday Start with the refrigerator. Look for things that are no longer edible. Label what’s left. (Feel better?) Isaiah 55:10-13

Tuesday Look around your living room today. Look for things that don’t jibe with who you are. Why do you have them out? Matthew 13:1-9

Wednesday Choose one thing that makes you smile. Look at it as you pray. Allow God to remind you of why it brings you joy. Give thanks. Psalm 119:105-112

Thursday Whether you are up early or up late, spend time today/ tonight looking at the sky. Feel the grandeur and enormity of Creator God. Matthew 13:18-23

Friday Ask yourself: Apart from God, what is the one thing I really cannot live without? Now ask someone else—and really listen to their answer. Romans 8:1-11

Saturday pray today for yourself, and ask God to show you something that’s standing between you and God. Be honest—and act. (It may take some time.) Psalm 65:1-8

Sunday Go back through this week’s Bible passages, slowly and deliberately. What are the deeper words saying? Be patient with yourself. Pray. Psalm 65:9-13

Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. 
In the middle of discord lies opportunity. 
–Albert Einstein

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