Cleaning Up — Cleaning Out — Cleaning In
It’s TOTAL Clean-Up, Clean-Out, Clean-In Time!
Last week I posted about “cleaning up” — closets, cabinets, clothes, etc. And, I’m quite pleased to say “I conquered!” Yesterday, however, I took it another step. I realized how much time I was spending going through my emails each day. Valuable time being consumed by advertisements, alerts, and even, in my effort to consume as much “Good News” as possible each day, I had devotions and motivations “overload” coming in daily.
It wasn’t just the emails that consumed precious time, but often the advertisements would entice me to go to that store for their sale or go shopping on their website. So, more precious time was given to “wants” not “needs” in my life. So, I purged and cleaned out. I “unsubscribed” well over 40 or 50 stores, businesses, news and not needed daily emails. There was one store that I really liked and was even tempted to go by there today, when once again that still small voice said….”PURGE”. I did.
There were also some unproductive activities that were taking my valuable time — time away for those meaningful activities that I needed to pursue. No longer do I have computer games showing up in my news feed, because once upon a time, I’d have to check them out, and if I found one that was challenging and fun, I’d play, and before long, I realized I was hooked.
Long ago there were some TV shows that I recorded that weren’t so optimistic and peace-building and I removed them — those shows that contained immorality, violence, crude language, etc. I’m so glad I did. I even removed those political talk shows that just went on and on in negativity and slamming someone for their convictions. Proverbs 23:7 says “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” I sure don’t want to be thinking those thoughts.
Yes, I know I’m starting to sound like “Miss Goody 2 Shoes” and that’s not my intent. My intent is to be a fully devoted follower of Christ and in order to do and be that, it means my choices must align with His desires and best wishes for me. “What Would Jesus Do?” certainly provides the benchmark for me. I suspect that maybe you’re also feeling some nudges to clean “house” — the spirit “house” within us. Clean in.
Proverbs 4:20-23 “My son, give attention to My words; Incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. KEEP YOUR HEART with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”