A friend of mine called me a few MONTHS (((WHEN I WAS IN NEW YORK , OF COURSE..)) ago after she had spent several days purging her house of the junk that had accumulated. "I have discovered something I am allergic to," she announced dramatically. "I am allergic to STUFF." We spent a few minutes lamenting the accumulation of stuff that can take up residence in an average American home. From broken toys to mismatched socks, the stuff just seems to pile up and take over. Organization attempts and routine cleaning might keep the stuff at bay for awhile, but eventually, drastic measures are necessary.
Our homes are not the only places where we allow stuff to take over. Many of us are guilty of letting stuff pile up in our hearts as well. This stuff creeps in seemingly unnoticed, growing bigger and more cumbersome by the day. Some stuff has been with us for years, moving with us from place to place throughout our lives. Some stuff is added because we just couldn't say no when we should have. Some stuff we keep locked out of sight and some is piled up in plain sight. We have a litany of excuses as to why we have not purged the stuff from our lives. Yet still we live as prisoners - held captive by stuff.
We all have different stuff that we have allowed to accumulate in our hearts. Even as you read this, I am sure your specific stuff is coming to mind. Bad attitudes, unforgiveness, old wounds from the past, sin struggles, health issues, low self image, unsavory habits, hurtful words, gossip and unhealthy thoughts are all likely possibilities. We know we should do what my friend did in her home and purge it. But our old enemy Satan does everything he can to prevent us from doing so. He loves for us to hang onto the stuff so that we will be less effective for God. He even goes and gets stuff out of the recesses that we have forgotten about, just to make sure we don't forget and find freedom. He loves to paralyze us and keep us overwhelmed.
When my friend finished de-junking her house, she pronounced it ready for re-decorating. She took time to pick new furnishings and the perfect accessories for her new and improved home, making it a beautiful, welcoming place to be.
Posted By: SIE aka george simons
Monday, September 26th 2005 at 5:28PM
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