I am so happy to introduce you to my very first real online friend, Melissa Brotherton. We hit it off instantaneously when we met through our mutual friend {and fellow blogger} Angela Russell of The Coupon Project. We’ll be meeting in real life soon and very soon and I can’t wait to hug her neck and in all likelihood squeal in glee. So many good things I could say about this lovely lady, but her words speak for themselves.
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How did we end up with so many McDonald’s toys! Didn’t we just throw them all away?
My kids stare at me, their blank-faces daring me to find an answer to such a rhetorical question. One by one I toss the miniature Barbies, Pokemon characters, and Kung-Fu Panda action figures into the open trash bag. Most of them were already missing an arm or frozen in a permanent karate chop action anyway.
With a sigh, I continue to make my way through their playroom, deciding which of two identical baby dolls to keep. With three boys, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that there will be duplicates in their toys. With only one daughter I am surprised to have two (and even three or four) of the same doll, dress-up costume or musical instrument.
You guys have too much stuff!
The kids nod their head in agreement. The purpose of the purge is our upcoming move. Hoping to save money on U-Haul trailers, we are brutal with what goes into the yard sale pile and what is allowed to stay.
Over the course of the next few days, I begin to see a trend.
We are thoughtless consumers.
I always get the kid’s meal at fast food restaurants; my children would be disappointed if they didn’t get a toy. If there’s a gift with purchase at my favorite makeup counter, I justify buying an unnecessary lipstick so I can get the equally unnecessary bag and lotion. Never mind the fact that I have stockpiles of toiletry bags and mini lotions in my bathroom at home; this one is new!
As the yard sale mountain grows, I wonder how we let things get this bad. Also, I begin to worry that we’ll just end up buying it all back. With my focus on de-cluttering our household and simplifying our move, my vision is clear as to what is needed and what is not. Once we are comfortably settled in our new home, will my eyes once again be blinded by “for a limited time”?
God-Smack
Then, God smacked me in the back of the head as only He can do so well. It’s a loving combination of “wake up” and “duh.”
Melissa, when was the last time you were this intentional about cleaning out your heart and mind?
The thing is, I fill my brain with “gift with purchase” and “limited time” clutter all throughout my day. The world we live in has a lot of clutter for us. It’s advertised as urgent, vital and demanding our immediate attention. And, it doesn’t seem a big deal at the time. It’s just a couple minutes online. We just want something to read while we’re in the doctor’s office.
When you start adding it up, and sorting it out, you realize that it’s not an isolated event. Over and over you’ve dedicated your time and energy to something that, in the long run, is a distraction from God’s best for you.
When I purchase a kid’s meal for my child, that toy doesn’t disappear when we walk in the house. It now requires a place, it takes up space in our already full-to-the-brim toy box. The same can be said for the things we allow into our hearts and minds.
Girl-Trouble
Recently Keri discussed her uneasy relationship with Facebook. I believe that there were a couple women in Philippi who had the same issue. Check it out:
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel…{Philippians 4:2-3a}
Paul doesn’t go into the details of the problem between the two women, but his next paragraph may give us some clues. These two church ladies had allowed their minds to be filled with things other than God’s best for them. Dissention had arisen between them, and minds that had once been filled with Christian love towards one another were now anxious and hard.
What was Paul’s solution to the problem?
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. {Philippians 4:11}
Somehow, the things that should have been filling the hearts and minds of these women had been replaced. I’m sure they weren’t even aware of it as it was happening.
Be Being Filled
In Ephesians 5:18, Paul suggests that rather than being drunk on wine, the church members would do better by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some people take this verse as an admonition against alcohol; I think Paul is cautioning the church about their habits.
To be drunk on something, you need to consume a lot of it. Too many glasses of wine or beer can impact our ability to think clearly and behave correctly. The same can be said about many habits. There are the biggies (drugs, alcohol, pornography, eating disorders), but those “lesser” overlooked sins (gossip, bitterness, anger, jealousy, and greed) can be just as destructive.
The word “filled” Paul used in Ephesians 5:18 is one of continuous action. It’s not a one time thing, but a habit of intentionally seeking out the Holy Spirit; abounding in the spirit of God. Look at the contrast Paul provided, rather than being saturated in wine, be soaked in the Spirit.
If we’re filling our minds with gossip from Facebook, drama from TV, opinions from talk radio, and on and on, what space is left for the God’s Spirit and His Word? For me, this wake up call from God necessitated a change in habits:
- Quieting of my mind before God
- Time in His Word
- Resting in worship to Him
There’s nothing wrong with entertaining ourselves with media and the things God has given us in this life. The problem comes in when we’ve filled ourselves to overflowing with it, and there’s no room for God.
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What things in your life do you need to purge to make more room for the things of God?
How are you intentional in what you allow in your heart and mind?
When Melissa Brotherton was little, she wanted to be a professional. Of what, she wasn’t quite sure; a question she’s still trying to figure out today. As a wife of ten years to her high school sweetheart and a stay-at-home mom to their four children, she hasn’t had much time to come up with an answer. For now, she’s an amateur writer, photographer, and chef. To keep her mind sharp amidst the onslaught of dirty diapers, laundry and dishes she writes about faith, relationships, parenting and the occasional recipe on her blog. You can also find her on Twitter (@Melissa_Rae) and Facebook.
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Excellent post Melissa!! I’m beginning that purge process too, both with the clutter without and within.
Somehow, I find it easier to be brutal with the external. Haha! Also, it’s much easier with other people’s stuff, right?! What I love about this whole journey God is taking me on in 2011 is that He is the instigator and the guide. He brings to mind things that need to be sacrificed and discarded. He also removes them. In all things He is the one doing the work, I just need to make myself available to Him and obedient to the process.
Keri, thank you so much for letting me post here today! I am so excited to virtually hang out at your place in preparation of our real life meeting.
You hit it outta the park, girl. I love this post-it’s so relevant to me personally. I have much to declutter in my heart. A cluttered heart has led to a cluttered house in my life. I’ve just gotten so overwhelmed with life, that I can’t seem to keep up with anything else. I know there are things in my heart {like my attituide} that need to change. Your words are the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit.
It’s so easy for the unimportant and urgent to cloud our lives – whether that’s toys and lipstick or Emails and meetings. I think the hardest part is standing back and saying “This is crazy. Things have to change.”
Haha! Definitely important to recognize the crazy in it all.
Thanks for adding that, Loren.
I really hope lipstick isn’t crowding out your life, Loren.
Great stuff Melissa – I have enjoyed reading your blog articles – you are a blessing
Aw! Thanks, Cindy.
I appreciate your kind words.
I’m a huge proponent of intentionality. There are so many areas that I want/need to be intentional in: my personal time and prayer with God, my life as a husband/father, my schedule, the words I speak…. So many things.
Melissa, your question “when was the last time you were intentional about cleaning out your heart?” really got me. I don’t know the answer…. probably has been a while. Thanks for the encouragement to do so.
I’m still working on that answer myself, Dustin. Like I told Sharon, I love that God doesn’t hold me responsible for that answer. He asks the question, and then He provides the answer and the road to cleaning it out.
I’m a huge proponent of it, too. But, I don’t really live as intentionally as I should.
Each time I make a decision, I’m being intentional about something, but it’s usually not the right thing. For me, it requires a setting of priorities and really fully understanding what I want-out of relationships, out of blogging, out of eating, out of exercise. Once I define exactly what I want for the end result, it really helps me to be more intentional.
I loved that last question, too Dustin.
That periodic inventory is critical. I know I don’t do it enough. That’s probably why I have a huge junk drawer! I’m a lot better at the spiritual inventory. Not because I do it regularly, but because I have people in my life that will tell me “dude, you need to clean out that junk drawer in your heart.”
Then I proceed to say “but this one is special and has meaning!”
Wait, I think I’m mixing things up. Ignore me…not enough sleep last night.
Great point, Tony! In our packing I have discovered that Josh is a hoarder (Hot Wheels, National Geographics, old books, etc). I keep asking him, “Why are you keeping this? What are you gong to do with it?” Some things were kept, but he realized a lot of what he was holding on to was junk and just collecting dust. There is much to be said for having others to hold you accountable!
I fear what the two of you will be like living so close to each other. :)
We are tricky human beings. We often allow things inside of us that we ourselves are not even aware of. That’s why David said in one of his psalms, reveal to me hidden sins (paraphrasing here). It’s like that little booger that’s in your nose and it bothers you, but you can’t pick it because you are at the office, and eventually, you become comfortable with it. You don’t even know it’s there anymore. But when you do a nostril “inventory” you go, “hey, I remember you, I had forgotten about you”. Come out little guy. It’s something like that in our spiritual nostrils (you heard it here first ladies and gentlemen).
You know what I’m saying? No? Me neither! (walks away whistling)
Oh, yeah, highway to the danger zone for sure when Melissa and I are living in the same county!
I love that David asked God to reveal to him his hidden sins. He knew there were things in his heart that he wasn’t even conscious of-those icky boogers! And, I think it’s those boogers, especially the hidden ones-that so often drive what we can see and what are conscious of. Gonna clean out your nose to breathe!
It is usually thing from the past that clutter my mind. I continually need to let things go. I do better at this sometimes than others.
Ooooh, good observation, Matt! I recently realized that I was letting guilt clutter my heart and my mind. God revealed to me that my holding onto the past, holding onto my mistakes and constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, was in essenc my rejection of His work on the cross.