For the first week of Advent, I feel the Lord putting on my heart the importance of purifying our hearts and home. This is part of the focus on preparing our hearts for His coming (for Christmas and His eventual return). We must first cleanse and purify our hearts. I sense that not only does He want us to get rid of excess things we do not need, or things we have hoarded for fear that we won’t be provided for in the future, or things that do not really serve a purpose for our family, but He wants us to get rid of things that lead us away from Him. This has been a gradual process for our family, as the Spirit has convicted us of different things to take away from our family life and home over the years. We have made a choice to get rid of anything that does not lead us closer to the Lord, remind us of Him, or help us spend more time together as a family. This includes things that take us away from family time, things that tempt us to sin against the Lord, or things that simply distract us from Him…but don’t seem to be a negative influence. I am sure this will look different to us each year, as we draw nearer to the Lord and learn more about His will for our lives. It is a continual process too, as the distractions and temptations always somehow subtly creep back in…we have to be on the lookout…..
It feels GOOD to cleanse our hearts and home! We are going through our garage and closets and drawers slowly, but surely…this week and for the rest of the month and seeking His heart for what He wants us to have in our home. As our closets and garage and home get less and less in them…it clears up space–space in our home and our hearts for MORE of Him. And a lot less responsibility to take care of and organize all that stuff (not to mention some of the stuff can get donated to other people to whom it might be more useful…)! It helps us to go through a physical reminder on the outside of the spiritual reality taking place on the inside. It is helpful to set the mood for the start of the Advent season.
Let us get rid of clutter in our hearts, lives, and homes that distract, tempt and lead us away from HIM.
Walking in Faith 