Did you know American homes contain an average of 300,000 items? No wonder the market size of the home organizing industry is approximately $12 billion! But it’s not just physical stuff that fills our lives—our email inboxes receive about 121 messages per day and our calendars reveal our tendency toward overcommitment.
When our stuff and schedules are out of balance, they steal our joy and make it challenging to love and serve the people around us. Now’s the perfect time to shed what weighs us down and live lighter so we have more opportunities to give.
These five steps will get you started:
Seek solitude: Mark 1:35 tells us that even Jesus needed solitude, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” How might you take the same posture? Turn down the noise level in your life—your phone, TV, and commitments. Spend time in quiet reflection and prayer. Ask God to give you mind at peace and a heart open to giving and serving.
Streamline your schedule: Remember, every time you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to something else. This practice clarifies what (and who) deserves the gift of your time and, ultimately, what doesn’t.
Spend wisely: Money is tightly connected to a sense of security and can weigh on your soul. Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” But when you recognize that all you have is a gift, you’re free to use those gifts to help people, whether they live across the street or on the other side of the world.
Strengthen your relationships: The wisdom of Proverbs has three particularly strong themes: trust God, care for others, and live as a person of peace. If you fashion your life around these concepts, you can simplify your talk and act, rooting your actions and words in love.
Invest in something lasting: Thinking long-term can unclutter how you live today. Many people use resources like IRAs, real estate holdings, stocks, or life insurance to support good work that aligns with their personal values. We give to leave a lasting legacy, making a difference well beyond our years.
Disclaimer: Providence Network has not provided you with any investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Instead, we have advised you to consult with your own legal and financial advisors and tax experts. We are not responsible for any decisions or actions taken in reliance upon or as a result of the content made available on this website or social media channels.
Links: Links to third party sites are provided as examples of commonly known resources for information purposes only. Providence Network does not endorse any third-party products or content that may be available through the links to any third-party websites.
