Cleaning Out The Closets

I am reviewing what I have already read and learned from the study on Simplicity and am back in chapter 3 today, “The World Is Too Much With Us.” These are some of my reflections from the first time I read this chapter with some new thoughts that I had today as I re-read it.  And if you have any tips on cleaning out real or metaphorical closets, we would love to read them!  Just post a comment.  FYI, all comments are moderated by me and will not appear until I have time to read them and post them.  I just want to keep the discussion here in line with the Word, and since the blog is accessible to the general public I moderate all comments.

Sole Deo Gloria!
WP Stacey


Philippians 4:11-13
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

I have been thinking about be content versus being complacent. I think sometimes I allow myself to continue on in a pattern because, frankly, it’s easier. I tell myself that I am just being content so that I’ll feel better about NOT doing the work it may require of me to live in the freedom that the Lord is offering me.

Colossians 1:29 says, “To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Jerry Bridges says, “In pursuit of his ministry Paul said he labored even to struggling… the Greek word translated as ‘labor’ in the NIV is ‘a strong word, denoting toil to the point of weariness or exhaustion.’ The word struggling in Greek is the word agonizomai, from which we get our word agonize, and conveys the idea of an athlete straining to win the race.’”

The words labor, struggling, weariness, exhaustion, and agonize are not words I’m naturally drawn to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a sluggard, I’m not afraid to work, but this sounds like a LOT of really hard work! I know that I have avoided dealing with certain issues in my life because when I did start “digging into” them the difficulty of the work and the sheer volume of the work seemed overwhelming. You know, things like bitterness over the way someone has treated me unfairly, or fear of one of my health issues coming back, or working on my own behavior rather than my children’s.

I don’t know about you, but for me it would be more rewarding to repaint my living room wall than to sort through and clean out all the closets in my house. Why? Well, even though painting the wall is a lot of work, I could have the living room wall done in one day and all the furniture back in place AND when you come to my house, you will notice what I have been working on and you may even think that I am a hard worker. For that matter, even my husband would notice it! (wink) And the reward for me is feeling good about myself because I got a “hard” project done in one day, there is external change in my home and others say complementary things to me.

The sad thing is that my closets really need to be cleaned out and no one, probably not even my husband, is going to notice. And IF he does notice, he’s not going to give me the same level of accolades that he would if I painted the living room. The other thing is, cleaning out the closets is a lot more work than painting the living room. I MIGHT be able to get the closests cleaned out in one day, but then I have MORE WORK to do once I clean them out! I have to have my children try on clothes and make piles of what to keep in the closet, what to store for next season and for the little sister, and what to give away or sell (even more work having a yard sale or learning to sell it on ebay, etc.). And probably the thing I hate the most is having to deal with the stuff while we are sorting through it and deciding what should stay and what should go. Then it’s out in the open and I can see it all and it’s messy, and this project is going to take more than a week and I don’t want to have to work on a project that hard for that long! (somebody call the whaaaambulance!)

Cleaning out closets sounds a lot like cleaning things up in my heart. God is ready to do it, but I’m often not. I don’t want to have to dig through the stuff in my heart and mind that I’ve been storing up. It’s going to be so much work, and maybe even painful! I’m going to have to look at what I’ve been hiding and holding on to. I might even have to get rid of things that have been bringing me false comfort and false security. I know that if I decide to do it, the reward is that I will have real comfort and real security from my Father, but this project isn’t going to be wrapped up in one day. I’m going to have stuff to deal with for as long as it takes to align my priorities and desires with His. I guess another issues is that I am overwhelmed by the amount of work it is gong to take because I naturally think about doing things in my own strength instead of His. Do I really trust Him for His strength? Until I do, the job will be overwhelming.

I realize now that God had called me several years ago to start laying down some things that I was doing (easy to see things like painting walls or serving in areas that are sure to be noticed by others) because they were distractions keeping me from the hard work of self discipline that I needed to develop in order to get rid of some of the lies, wounds and bondage of the enemy that I couldn’t get control over in my own strength. I needed to focus on Him and then He did the work in me, of learning to be content. Really it was agonizing at points, and sometimes for very long periods of time (not to discourage you, but some things took months and even years, but maybe I'm just stubborn or slow). It was hard work to start giving up worry and control and to trust Him to do the things that I cannot do.

Philippians 4:6-7
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

The result I can expect when I respond in prayer is His peace which is more wonderful than the human mind can understand. How? Instead of worrying about how I am going to get through this I PRAY! Pray what? I have learned to be honest about what I am feeling and what I need.  I have learned to NOT put on any pretense. I tell the Lord when I amangry, scared, depressed, etc. and then tell Him why and ask Him to take my burden.   I ask Him to show me what to do or how to rest in a time of working through an issue (cleaning out a closet). It can be hard work, but take heart that He does not leave us to do it by ourselves; “His peace will guard your hearts and minds…”

So, if you really believe He is able and is going to see you through, what do you need to start cleaning on today? I’m heading for my closet!