Matthew 19:21-23
Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.
Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg and I cleaned our closets yesterday. It was long overdue. We will donate the purged items to a local clothes closet that helps people in need…many who have nothing due to a house fire, domestic violence, job loss, or other unfortunate circumstances. For the record, I am a bit of a clothes hoarder. I’ve cleaned my closet countless times and put pretty much everything back on the racks and in the drawers. I tell myself that I might actually be able to wear the jeans that fit when I was 40…or that I really need a shirt I bought for a song – in 1994!
This time, I tried to be ruthless…and I have to say, I did better than expected. Because I asked myself one question…”Who needs this worse?” And if you looked at my closet today, you might ask if I really removed anything. See, I still have plenty…but now, the person who really needs a good pair of Levis® will be able to have them. The warm jacket that I have not worn in at least five years will keep someone cozy this winter instead of taking up space in our closet. Those shoes that pinched my toes might be just the right size for a woman who is looking for a job and wants to look professional. And honestly, these days, my need for “office attire” is pretty well nil.
I inherited this “clothes hoarding” gene from my mother and grandmother. I know that to be a fact, because I cleaned out their closets! And I am not criticizing them…they were careful bargain shoppers. And after decades of scrimping and scraping so that we kids could have nice things, they deserved to have beautiful garments. But I also know that “you can’t take it with you.” Even after my purging, I could pretty well wear a different outfit every day for a month and not repeat myself! In view of the fact that some have NOTHING to wear – at least nothing that is decent – this makes no sense.
So I’ve made a small step toward sharing my “riches.” I have not sold or given away everything that I own, but I’ve started letting go of an unreasonable attachment to clothes that clutter my closet and could actually benefit someone else.
A couple of years ago, I went through every closet and drawer and purged and organized what was in them…and it’s time to do that again. This may not seem like a huge deal in the realm of God’s Kingdom, but it is. When we let go of our “things,” we focus more on what is really necessary and important. When we part with something because we realize that another person has a bigger need for it than we do, we’re making progress. And I have to believe that this makes God smile.
I don’t want to hinder my journey to heaven with clutter and “stuff”…and I’m betting you don’t either. This small step could lead to bigger ones - and point us in the right direction, once and for all. Are you ready to start gleaning?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.” When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.
Jesus said to his disciples, “It’s terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Greg and I cleaned our closets yesterday. It was long overdue. We will donate the purged items to a local clothes closet that helps people in need…many who have nothing due to a house fire, domestic violence, job loss, or other unfortunate circumstances. For the record, I am a bit of a clothes hoarder. I’ve cleaned my closet countless times and put pretty much everything back on the racks and in the drawers. I tell myself that I might actually be able to wear the jeans that fit when I was 40…or that I really need a shirt I bought for a song – in 1994!
This time, I tried to be ruthless…and I have to say, I did better than expected. Because I asked myself one question…”Who needs this worse?” And if you looked at my closet today, you might ask if I really removed anything. See, I still have plenty…but now, the person who really needs a good pair of Levis® will be able to have them. The warm jacket that I have not worn in at least five years will keep someone cozy this winter instead of taking up space in our closet. Those shoes that pinched my toes might be just the right size for a woman who is looking for a job and wants to look professional. And honestly, these days, my need for “office attire” is pretty well nil.
I inherited this “clothes hoarding” gene from my mother and grandmother. I know that to be a fact, because I cleaned out their closets! And I am not criticizing them…they were careful bargain shoppers. And after decades of scrimping and scraping so that we kids could have nice things, they deserved to have beautiful garments. But I also know that “you can’t take it with you.” Even after my purging, I could pretty well wear a different outfit every day for a month and not repeat myself! In view of the fact that some have NOTHING to wear – at least nothing that is decent – this makes no sense.
So I’ve made a small step toward sharing my “riches.” I have not sold or given away everything that I own, but I’ve started letting go of an unreasonable attachment to clothes that clutter my closet and could actually benefit someone else.
A couple of years ago, I went through every closet and drawer and purged and organized what was in them…and it’s time to do that again. This may not seem like a huge deal in the realm of God’s Kingdom, but it is. When we let go of our “things,” we focus more on what is really necessary and important. When we part with something because we realize that another person has a bigger need for it than we do, we’re making progress. And I have to believe that this makes God smile.
I don’t want to hinder my journey to heaven with clutter and “stuff”…and I’m betting you don’t either. This small step could lead to bigger ones - and point us in the right direction, once and for all. Are you ready to start gleaning?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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