Before we sold our last home I got rid of so much! Our house had lots of storage and there were things in all the closets and storage areas. My "treasures" had become burdens and I was overwhelmed by all of the clutter! It felt very freeing to give away more and keep less.
I love to decorate and since I moved I find I want less and less. Less art on the walls! Less knickknacks! Less furniture. I like order and organization. I am unpacking treasures that I haven't seen in two years and I am having to make tough decisions. No matter the memories they held, it was time to let them bring joy to someone else. Mike took me to unload a truck of art - I wanted to give each piece away but I knew I had to let it go right then. As I purged, sorted and thought about my clutter free space, the stress decreased. As I walk around my new home I smile at the empty walls and lack of stuff.
Our hearts and minds get cluttered, too, and oftentimes we do not see the clutter building. It comes out as impatience, frustration, bitterness, etc. Jesus said in Luke 6:45 “…for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” When my heart and mind are cluttered, it is time to purge. I only need to hold onto what is good and right. Philippians 4: 8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
"Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor - it's anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living." As I watch things enter my home, I am reminded that I also choose what is entering my heart and mind. Proverbs 4: 23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."