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Decluttering for God’s Glory – October Clean Out

Decision Making· Freedom· Habits & Routines

8 Oct

October, former procrastinators, is Clean Out Clutter month.  We’ll focus on making space in our homes and lives – space that welcomes God and His purposes giving Him freer rein in both places.

Sometimes I feel like I’m choking when I consider the amount of stuff in our home.  I gotta fight back!  Sometimes I’m compelled to find items to remove, then I’m stumped about what to get rid of.  Sometimes I easily fill several bags to give away.

Do you need help too?  Let’s rally and do this.  Each week we’ll realign our perspective and tackle a physical project.  By month’s end, we should enjoy clearer perspective, greater opportunity, availability, peace and freedom.

Perspective.  Matthew 5:17 has gripped me in a new way.  “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Oh my.  Stuff is keeping me from doing some good works God prompts me to do.  I spend time moving, shoving, rearranging the same obstacles over and over instead of engaging with family, friends and new folks or doing the study He directs.  The very existence of the stuff pulls me down and saps my energy.  If I do manage to engage or otherwise obey as He prompts, my stuff interferes.  It also hinders others’ view of His work.  Excess stuff keeps my light from shining or is a bushel that covers my light.  My excess stuff dims the view of God’s glory.

Is there excess stuff here that’s not mine?  Yes.  Yet I must remove the plank from my own eye.  There is FAR more I can do than I’ve admitted.

  • I’m surrendering to God’s prompting, accepting responsibility to clear out all I can.  Without excuse.
  • I focus on elimination not organization.
  • I remind myself that keeping things for their potential is robbing me of my potential.

Project.  This week we clean out “the dumping ground.”  That’s the place where you put things when you put off making a decision and acting on it.  It’s where you deposit stuff “for now” – and it becomes a calcified deposit. We have a room I use for that.  Yours might be along the bedroom wall or in a corner of the den.  Stuff accumulates and gets dusty as it becomes part of the landscape.  However, it keeps whining at you and pulling you down.  You keep turning away.  Go git it!  Withdraw permission to dump things anywhere.

My personal project is the workroom dumping ground.  I’ve started by removing more clothes, boxes, books, papers, and cleaning out the desk.  My categories for sorting are Trash, Donate, Put in Place, and Deliver (to other people).  If you have no dumping ground, Yea You!  Select another project and knock it out this week.  Let your light shine.

Where’s your dumping ground?  When this week will you chip out the deposits and make a clear space?

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2 Comments

« Focus on Essentials – (Stealing Another Week for Priorities)
Recognizing Clutter – October Clean Out 2 »

Comments

  1. karen Galambos says

    October 8, 2018 at 7:23 am

    (Please excuse the all caps- I can’t shut it off!) my dumping ground is my inbox. When I can’t fit anything into the inbox, it’s time to make decisions about where something goes. It really helps with clutter to have such a small dumping ground.
    This is going to be a big week for me- I am finally going through my nursing school papers and letting go. it’s going to be tough, but it’s time to put the dream to rest.

    Reply
    • Beth Sterne says

      October 10, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      Karen, cleaning out the inbox is a big deal. Kudos for having such a small dumping ground. Prayers for you as youn deal with nursing school papers. That’s an even bigger deal. When the Lord makes it clear He has something else for us, it is wise and freeing to let go. Thank you for your example. May He bless you as you walk the path He has for you.

      Reply

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BETH STERNE
Welcome! It's great to have you here. I'm a follower of Christ and a learner of new ways. By His grace, I am gaining victory over procrastination. This is where I share struggles I face and lessons I'm learning. Join me and other sisters as we put off procrastination and put on peace.

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“Beth’s presentation on procrastination was truly eye-opening. I knew I had a problem with procrastination, but never thought twice about how it impacted my relationships and showed God that I wasn’t onboard with His plan. I began to see each instance took away from being fruitful; I was living for myself! After this revelation, I have been working on procrastinating less. I can see places opening up in my life for more peaceful moments, more time with and for friends and family, and more time for God’s plan to unfold. It’s amazing to know there’s more to life for me than a life full of “should haves” as a result of procrastination.”
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Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise! It has
no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
... you have put off the old man with
his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge
according to the image of Him who
created him.
Colossians 3:9-10

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