"Down-size me PLEASE!"

“Down-size Me Please!” I’m sure this will not be the next slogan lined up for McDonalds any time soon. Bigger is always better, right? They have super-size drinks, fries, and lots of extras. What more could a person need to feel complete?

Could you imagine if major corporations adopted this motto of down-sizing? We might hear things like… “Would you like a SMALLER portion size?” or “Would you like a smaller, simpler style of vehicle, plain in color that won’t draw attention with absolutely no perks or extras? That’s just not the picture of success one would imagine.

Well, somehow recently my family must have requested a “down-size” from GOD. Not sure who put that order in, but God answered it. The order was a down-size for our home. The request was a SMALL, compact cozy space to live in with ONE bathroom at the most, little to no yard, neighbors as close as you can get them, and a small one car garage (that won’t really fit a car safely inside if I am navigating it there).

Do I sound like I’m whining? I don’t mean to be. I’ve actually learned a lot about myself in the midst of this move. One thing I’ve learned is that I like my “things” a little too much. Because of the down-size we’ve had to get rid of A LOT. We’ve adopted the policy of… “If it doesn’t fit, we can’t keep it.” I’ve had a hard time with this.

Do you have anything that you own that you absolutely LOVE? What do you have that would be hard to let go of or give away? If you had to separate your earthly treasures to a pile of needs and wants, what would it look like? Having lots of “things” isn’t necessarily bad. It’s our attitude toward those things and how it affects our heart that makes the difference.

Matthew 6:19-21
"Don't store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will be where your treasure is.” (NCV)

I guess I’m a packrat of sorts and we packrats don’t LIKE to get rid of ANYTHING. I have discovered in this process that I treasure more things than I thought. In the middle of my whining to God, He spoke something to my heart. “We need to see ourselves as missionaries on assignment to our new neighborhood.” Hmmm…never thought of that. I was too worried about losing all of my “things.”

If we were missionaries going overseas to another country, we would have to get rid of most everything. It would be hard, but necessary to accomplish the task God put before us. This mindset has helped me to loosen my grip on my “stuff” enough to allow God to do some de-cluttering of my life. Look at what the Bible says about our things.

Colossians 3:2
“… Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.” (Msg)

A de-cluttered life… what a concept? He is working on the outside of me, but I think the inside of me is getting re-arranged as well. Do you have any clutter around you that needs to go? Is there anything that might be getting in the way of you and Jesus? Maybe it’s time to down-size or de-clutter some areas of your life.

I believe God allows things to happen for a reason. I am not sure what He is up to most of the time, but I trust Him completely with my life. I am confident that God already knew my “new” address before I did. I'm excited about this new chapter He is writing for me. The possibilities are endless and my load is already a lot lighter to carry.

I pray today you will be stripped free of anything that may be restricting you and all weights will be lifted off of your back as you pursue JESUS with your whole heart.

Romans 12:1-2
“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (NLT)

Living to leave a legacy,
Julie