It was such an unexpected blessing recently when we received a list of household and classroom items needed by a church in Africa. My ‘mission’ was to scavenge each closet, cabinet, and cranny to locate those objects camouflaged in our house. To us, those things were extras, but for others, they met desperate needs.

I soon felt euphoric as I walked around the house. Sorted shelves, weeded drawers, and cleared spaces made my soul sing.

Hmm, could this concept apply to de-cluttering our spiritual lives as well?

What email subscriptions, social media distractions, phone apps, etc. are sucking time away from what we should focus on? What ‘garbage’ needs discarded for good, for our good? What unhealthy habits need a hefty (and final) heave-ho? Do priorities need reordered, waste trimmed, and clutter cleaned out?

James, the half-brother of Jesus, challenged believers to “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). Yes, even believers need to regularly recalibrate and assess. Becoming Christ-like is a process. It’s a lifelong journey, a purification progression that melts away impurities to leave pure gold!

May our prayer be “Create in me a pure [clean] heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).