There's something about those days as the temperatures start to decline, the temptation just close up shop can start. We hide away things in our lives that ultimately take root and define us.
Can I encourage you to let go of these things, not hold them tight like they are your definition.
Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I love how practical Paul is here. Like a person who knows they need to clean house but hasn't quite finished, he acknowledges he's still in process. Yet he gives us this powerful image of intentionally leaving behind what no longer serves his journey forward.
What's Collecting Dust in Your Soul?
Just as we accumulate physical items that eventually crowd our homes, we gather spiritual and emotional baggage:
Old grudges: Those hurts we've replayed so many times we could script them for a movie. Jesus addressed this directly in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Forgiveness isn't about saying what happened was okay—it's about releasing yourself from carrying the weight of that hurt forever.
Limiting beliefs: Those inner voices that whisper "you can't," "you shouldn't," or "you'll never be enough."
These often contradict what Scripture tells us. Isaiah 43:19 reminds us, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
God isn't limited by our past or our self-perception.
Unhealthy habits: Patterns of behaviour that once helped us cope but now keep us stuck. Romans 12:2 encourages, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Fear of change: The comfort of the familiar, even when it's not good for us. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Letting it all go
So how do we begin this soul-level decluttering?
Here are some practical steps:
Take inventory honestly. Just as you'd survey a cluttered room before cleaning, take time to reflect on what internal baggage you're carrying. Prayer is your perfect starting point. Psalm 139:23-24 offers this beautiful invitation: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Sort what needs to go. Not everything needs to be eliminated—some things just need to be put in proper perspective. Some relationships need boundaries rather than endings. Some memories need reframing rather than forgetting.
Practice intentional release. This might look like writing down resentments and physically destroying the paper. It might mean having a difficult conversation. It might require seeking counselling for deeper wounds.
Fill the clean spaces wisely. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does our spiritual life. As you clear out what doesn't serve you, intentionally fill those spaces with truth. Philippians 4:8 guides us: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Sometimes we can hold onto things that hold us back. Grudges, experiences, hurts, sins, whatever they may be we are not called to be defined by them but rather by our identity in Christ.
The beautiful paradox of letting go is that it creates more space for God to work in our lives.
Just as a decluttered home feels more peaceful and functional, a decluttered soul has more capacity for joy, love, and purpose.
I encourage you to ask yourself: What is one thing I can release that would create more space for God's presence in my life? The answer might surprise you—and the freedom you find might be the fresh start your soul has been waiting for. Touch base with us sometime at Divergent Church
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