To listen to this post click here!

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45b).

Before Marie Kondo taught us to toss things that didn’t “spark joy” I was already really good at throwing things out (or finding them new homes). Moving multiple times the last ten years means I’ve perfected the art of purging belongings, and yes: I would argue that it is indeed a form of art! My love for paring down came from unpacking box after box of unnecessary items after our first big move. The next time we relocated I decided I’d put in the time before our things were packed to make sure we weren’t paying to move anything unwanted all the way across the country. That meant taking everything out of the junk drawers, the closets, the dressers, the attic, and the garage. Starting fresh in an uncluttered home was worth the extra work.

We’ve been in the same house for more than five years now, so I’ve had to be intentional about recreating this process every couple of years. I’m always amazed at the sheer amount of unused stuff I uncover when taking inventory--it’s alarming the rate at which clutter accumulates!

When was the last time you took inventory of the contents of your heart?

It’s easy to store things on the shelves of our heart and lose track of what’s there. Is there a hurt from your childhood festering in a dark corner? Is there a more recent offense on the top shelf? Are there seeds of resentment sprouting into bitterness on the bottom shelf? Are there boxes of fear, frustration, anxiety, or anger taking up prime real estate on the middle shelf? We may think we’re doing a great job hiding it, but whatever we’ve chosen to store away in our hearts will always be on full display when we open our mouths. 

Friends, it’s time to be intentional about cleaning house. 

What kinds of conversations have you been participating in these days? What type of information do you choose to like or share online? What’s the overall tone of your posts on social media? Have your communications been more along the lines of Disagreeing Deeply than Loving Deeper Still? We all have expired, unneeded clutter on the shelves of our hearts. Let’s be intentional today about taking inventory and examining what needs to be dealt with.

Take a few moments and think about the contents of your heart. Is there anything there you had forgotten about?

Ask God to help you let go of the unnecessary things taking up space in your heart.

Ask God to fill your heart with his love, joy, and peace.