Spring Cleaning

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Traditionally, people have swept out the cobwebs and dust of winter. Why not go a step beyond that and seriously declutter. Here are some good reasons for getting rid of the things that have piled up in our homes over the months and years.
 
1. Clutter creates stress. The more items we accumulate, the more things we have to organize, clean, fix, move, store, protect, rearrange, find, and worry about.
 
2. Clutter makes you feel bad about yourself. You may feel inadequate or that you have lost control. If you have depression, it will make it worse.
 
3. Clutter interferes with personal relationships. You may be embarrassed to have visitors to your messy house. Grandkids may not visit much because their parents think your home is “unsafe”.
 
4. Clutter takes a financial toll. Late fees for overdue bills lost in a pile of papers. Purchasing multiples of items because though you are sure you own it, you can’t find it when you need it.
 
5. Clutter is a time robber. Time you spend hunting for items could be spent chatting over tea with a friend or playing games with the grandkids.
 
6. Clutter shuts you off from new opportunities or hobbies because you have no room to accommodate them. You are stuck in the past.
 
7. When we let our stuff define us, we give control to the stuff. The Biblical command was for man (or woman) to have dominion over the things of the earth, not the other way around.
 
8. Clutter may keep you from seeing how God can meet a need in your life if you are stockpiling everything “in case you need it”. Will you let Him supply it instead?
 
9. Clutter may cause resentment when people have to clean out garages, attics, closets, etc. that you should have cleaned out before you died or were forced to downsize because of health issues.