Find Family Balance with Us (12)

This past year our church theme was “Rebuilding the Walls”, and this coming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation, it will be “All Things Become New” (2Corinthians 5:17). And I believe I just went through something in my life that is relevant to both– decluttering my house.

My family has lived in this house for as old as my second son– 14 years (including pregnancy), therefore in this house, we have been through diaper and toy mountains, tons of (this will make your kids smart) children’s books, kid’s clothes that need one size up a few times a year. Now that they are teenagers, Thomas the Train is in the ancient past, Lego pieces are just pains under the feet when stepped on, and Pokémon cards gain renewed interest as a possible pricey collectible item. Things they store gradually become sports gear, hair products, musical instruments, and clothes that they choose by themselves. As for the adults, my husband who is the cook-enthusiast has accumulated enough pots, pans, and knives to open a few restaurants (of different ethnicities might I add); and me, who doesn’t really shop and accumulate things (or so I believe), is not good at organizing and cleaning OTHER PEOPLE’s stuff. Over the years, there are more things in the house that just take up space without being used, than the ones that are actively functional.

It is not to say that we don’t re-organize from time to time. We do, but just on a superficial level. This time, we decided to seriously let go of what have been purely space takers, even though they are good and valuable things. This is the hardest part. Many things we hoard because they are good, functional, and valuable things, except we haven’t used them for years. When we bought them, we’d say, “We can always sell them when we don’t need them”. But we never get the time to do the work: take the photos, post them on the internet, schedule the visits, and finalize the trade. So, in the end, all the “valuable things” are just there collecting years of dust.

Long story short, this major decluttering proved to be a great success. With the house being more spacious, I feel lighter in my heart, and more focused. By getting rid of non-functional valuables, the functional items become even more useful, and easier to access. It is as if the house came to life and is breathing again.

Spiritually, whether you are rebuilding the wall, or making things new, unless you are God who created something out of nothing, we all need to let go of things. That thing can be house items, screen addictions, relationships, memories, negativities, grudges, guilt, careers, locations, money, and the list goes on. Without letting go, nothing can be rebuilt or renewed because there is simply no space for it.

Why do we hold on to things? Because we don’t know their true values, which are temporal and temporary. Materials serve men for certain phases of their lives. As your life moves on, you may not need the things that used to be valuable. The only absolute value is God’s value, for He is true, eternal and good. And only Godly values are true values to be held onto. For everything else, there is “A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away” (Ecclesiastes 3:6).

Lastly, let’s remind each other of this verse to make our material life light and simple, and spiritual life rich and fulfilling: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Come join us to learn how to cast away our old ways.  Bring your friends and family to learn how to renew ourselves to have a more meaningful and valuable life.  Join us in the upcoming Fall Evangelical Service and Spiritual Convocation in September. You can also join us for the Fall ESSC via online streaming.  Here’s the ESSC schedule:

Thursday, September 26, 2024 6:50PM to 8:10PM
Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2024 9:00AM to 8:10PM
Sunday, September 29, 2024 9:00AM to 1:00PM

Complimentary lunch and dinner will be served.

Please find our church location below:

4N550 Church Road
Bensenville, IL 60106
 Google Maps

In the meantime, please feel free to join us for our regular Sabbath (Friday evening and Saturday) services online or in-person.

Friday Evening Service:  7:50PM – 9:00PM

Saturday Morning Service:  10:50AM – 12:00Noon

Saturday Afternoon Service:  1:30PM – 2:40PM

Email us at ilovejesus@tjc-chicago.org