Downsizing, Decluttering, or Starting Over… Welcome to My World!

John 3:3  Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

My husband and I looked around our house and realized, though we had room for everything we had, we had TOO MUCH STUFF! At this time of our life, we want to be free to go play. But with a house big enough to fill with stuff and the stuff that has it’s own needs, there is always chores to do…and… Mother always said, “No fun UNTIL your chores are done!” At 68 and 70 we’re not going to start disobeying our mother!

So, for these last several months, he and I have pondered the best way to eliminate chore time and gain way more playtime.

I chose downsizing and in my opinion the best way to do that is FORCED PURGING. My preferred solution, why of course, a smaller house! Starting over seemed to me the spoonful of sugar to help the purging medicine (worst tasting stuff ever!) go down (and stay down).

My husband, because he has the gift of patience and perseverance, chose decluttering. I didn’t disagree with the principle, I just couldn’t agree on what is or isn’t clutter!

So, until we can agree, we begin. Each of us will downsize and/or declutter our own stuff until the only thing left is stuff that we both have a shared value in (i.e. opinion of and attachment to). We have to start somewhere because as our mothers also taught us, “Nothing gets done if you don’t start!”

As I was preparing the first blog of 2020 (can you believe it??), the Holy Spirit reminded me that this same process MUST happen when God moves into the house called Mary.

The order is somewhat different and there is no question Who chooses what goes, what stays, and maybe even a few things that just need tweaking.

Don and I have always tried to make the place (house) we were living in our home. No matter where, what, or how big or small, we made our space handle the love for each other and our family, even when it wasn’t always the prettiest house on the block.

When I came to Jesus, I thought “faith” was the same thing. You do the best you can with what you have. I came just as I am, and fully believed I would always be just as I am. My vision was that God would move in and be content to share my space.

I was blind! And I would remain blind until I was born again… unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus Mary *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  John 3:5-6 There is no “my” space in the kingdom of God, only God’s!  Starting over isn’t just an option in God’s home, it is the mandatory first step!

We make a huge mistake when we believe and lead others to believe that WE “let” God into our lives, but WE still “own” the decorating rights to OUR space. We set ourselves and others up for a wrestling match we aren’t aware WILL HAPPEN and the agony of defeat when we must wave the white flag of surrender.  The good news… the upside of defeat is WE LIVE, unlike what will happen eventually to the flesh we care so much about.

We should take very serious, our role in being “born-again”. For ourselves and others, we should seek (or become) the OBGYNs to our soon to be newborn siblings, the doctors disciples of Jesus. Those, governed and led by the Holy Spirit who will, those who are gifted in the nutritional value of the Word of God Those who know from experience the warnings and danger of neglecting to intimately know the Truth, the Way and the Life (or Yeshua as He was named at His birth). And those who may be given the opportunity to witness and assist in your birth – that event, when you downsize all of you, and welcome all of Jesus.

For while we were still helpless, (as helpless as a newborn babe) at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.  Romans 5:6,8-11

For some, there is no need for God (if He exists) to require starting over. Like I was, they are blind to the reality of the sin at the core of our flesh. We can’t imagine that it (sin), is so evil that it makes the whole, ineligible to be in the presence of perfect holiness (God).

Sin cannot be downsized to a “little” misdemeanor, nor can it be decluttered so you only see the good stuff. Sin isn’t just for your worst enemy, it is you, me, everyone and anyone who turns away from Perfect Holiness – God.

as it is written, “ There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God ; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good , There is not even one .”  Romans 3:10-12 We are born with it in our flesh! Destined for the trash heap of hell if we aren’t saved from it (the wages of sin is death).

But God… so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  John 3:16-17 

By faith… which is both belief in and confession of God as your all in all… no other strange gods before Him.

By faith… Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  1 John 4:1

By faith… Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.  1 John 5:1  Born again!

In the Kingdom of God it is the ONLY WAY to go. Once accomplished you will have God Himself to train you up and prepare you for eternity with Him and all the saints. For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:13 

If you are born again, I have just one more thing to say to you. “WELCOME HOME!” (Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to help with our downsizing/decluttering, and starting over is off the table!)

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.