Chunk the Junk

I spent last week cleaning out my garage. Yes, the whole week. Seems we had accumulated quite a bit of unnecessary clutter over the years. As part of the project, I reorganized the remaining junk so I could find it when I needed it. Beginning was difficult. It was an overwhelming mess. But with diligence, persistence and a capriciousness when it came to throwing stuff out, I declared the work done at 4:00 Saturday.

The cleanup wasn’t easy and the task wasn’t quick. It was a plodding operation. It took years to get the way it was; it took days to straighten it all out.

Our lives are not unlike my garage. We don’t suddenly find ourselves drowning in debris. We’ve been treading away for quite a while as it rose higher and higher. It’s not until we get pushed under that we become aware of how messed up things have gotten. We blame the last box of crud that dropped on top of us but that wasn’t necessarily the real issue. We could have handled that box had it not been for the room full of boxes cluttering our lives, tripping us up. The last just simply overwhelmed us.

Before we reach the final box, I suggest we start cleaning things up. Grab a piece of junk. Take it in hand. Look at its worthlessness and then take it to the curb for heavy pickup day. By declaring it useless to the process of living our lives and taking it away, we have relieved ourselves of an unnecessary burden and cleared space for some blessing.

If we keep it up, our garage or heart will be able to serve the purpose for which it was designed. We might be able to get the car back inside. We might be able to find the stuff we really need to use when we need it. We might be less embarrassed leaving the garage door opened when folks drive past. And we might find it easier to love God with all our heart as He asked us to.

When cleaning out your garage, take each piece of clutter in your hand and ask, “Do I need this?” If not, throw it out. When cleaning out your heart, take each piece of clutter and ask, “Does this glorify God?” If not, throw it out.

If you’re like me, this may take a while. But keep it up. A clean garage is a happy garage.