Spring Cleaning Step 2: Purge

Welcome to Spring Cleaning Tips (for the Home and the Heart). Yesterday, I established how I prepare a room and my heart for a cleaning-spree. Today I will focus on the bulk of the work: the purge. The process to de-clutter the house and one’s heart of selfish desires can be exhausting work. So grab an energizing smoothie or a tall iced coffee and join me for...

Step 2: Purge.

Sort through each room: every wall, closet, drawer, box, and floor. Every item is subject to the following questions:

• Does it add value to my life?
• Have I used it in the last year?
• Is it easily replaced?
• Will it add value to someone else’s life?

If the item is not a “keeper,” it gets placed into one of the prepared bins: Garbage, Sell, Give Away.

As more items accumulate into the “give away” pile, I repeat John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Also, I use the growing trash pile as a visual for the sin and selfishness that God is cleaning out of my heart:

• I trash my pride in self-sufficiency.
• I throw away the growing feeling of jealousy over other’s homes.
• Let all rude talk be tossed out!

It can be difficult to let go of certain items in my home. Even though my blue sweater doesn’t fit anymore, I don’t want to lose it. I know certain books, magazines, and movies aren’t healthy to keep in our home, but I struggle to part with them.

I think we hang on to our sin nature in a similar way. This song is a huge encouragement to me when God purges me of relationships, habits, and desires that don’t belong in a daughter of God:

There you have it. Purge and repent… and see your life looking more like Christ’s and your home more like the simple sanctuary our families need.

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