CHECK OUT THE VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/veg13mSvipk

Hello my friends:

The title of today’s episode is: “DECLUTTERING AND REMODELING”

Our spiritual lives are all about God removing things we accumulate and making them new. God doesn’t want to make over just one room. He wants to re-do the entire house of our heart. When we become Christians, Jesus makes our hearts over by painting the walls with his blood and removing all of our sins from the past.

This episode was inspired by the transition I was in during this time of my life.  I have been doing a major decluttering of my home.  I recently remodeled a spare bedroom and turned it into an office/prayer room. During this process, I do not know what I would have done without my helpful family. They all have special skills that helped me to complete the task.

I am going to share some lessons I have learned: if a room is not perfectly square, everything is a challenge.  In other words, if our lives are not up to specifications, there will be challenges.  God’s word lays out the blueprint for our lives, but if it is not applied correctly, it can cause all sorts of issues.

When doing a miter cut on trim, sometimes there is a small space that needs to be filled with wood filler. Sometimes, spiritually, where we are and where we need to be leaves a gap. God is there to be the filler; he makes everything come together the way it should.

I watched probably twenty videos with organizing and decluttering tips. I don’t remember which one said the following phrase or I would give them credit.  But it has changed my thinking about a lot of items in my home. It is obvious that some things have sentimental value. But outside of these items, she said to ask, “How does this add value to my life?” If it doesn’t add value right now, then it is time to give away, throw away or sell. We need to give ourselves permission to say that certain things are not working for us and its ok to let it go.

I took this and have applied it to my spiritual walk. I ask how certain attitudes and tasks add value to my life. Only when it comes to spiritual things, have I added another question? ‘How does this add value to someone else’s life? Could I possibly share something that gives someone else values in their Christian walk?

The more expensive the item, the harder it is to let go of; we feel guilty for the money we spend on it. But it is ok to let it go.  In the same manner, the hardest walked through trials are often the hardest to pour into the life of someone else.  But if we don’t share the value we have gained in the struggle, it will have been for nothing.  I often pray for God to use my battle with depression and other things in my life to be a help to someone else.  I want the price I paid to give them value for their journey.

As we walk out of our faith daily, sometimes things happen that cause us to be hurt.  Sometimes, we face battles we do not understand. God allows things in our lives to remodel and make us over better. Clutter can pile up in our homes; our spiritual house is no different. There are times we allow offense or other things to take hold in our spirit.  Sometimes, it is a small amount of unbelief. Other times, it could be just going through the motions and not focusing on God. We need to ask ourselves, what can I declutter my spiritual life and let go of things that are not edifying our Christian Walk.

Remember to keep your words kind, because once said, you can’t take them back. Apologies will only smooth the surface, but the hole remains. Like driving a nail in a board, you may take the nail back, but the nail hole is still in the wood. The only thing that you can do at this point is to fill it with wood filler and paint over it. If some unkind things have been said, then God is the only one who can fill that hole that is left behind and paint over it with his blood.  This is how we accomplish forgiveness. 

God asks us to forgive for us. Forgiveness adds value to our lives. It releases us from the spirit of offense. Does it mean that we allow people to walk over us again? No, forgiveness is a release for us. But we do not have to go around those people and be hurt by them again.  Every situation is different.

Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

When situations arise in your life, ask yourself how it adds value to your life. Sometimes, things occur to teach us a lesson. Sometimes, it is to teach someone else. Prayer will open the answers we need to show us what to do. Jesus is there waiting to give us the answers. He will come along and make over our lives if we allow him. He will show us how to walk by faith and not by sight.  He will show us how to walk in the Spirit and deny our flesh.  He will help the fruit of the spirit to grow in our lives.

Think about the things you do and say. Do they add value to your life or others? 

Thanks for watching,

Until next time, BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS