In my life, I go through times of purging.
If you have ever moved, you have likely experienced this too. I packed up all of my clothes and shoes, and tools, and stuff. And I realized I’m just about embarrassed by how much stuff I have! Have you ever moved and found a box that you had never unpacked from the previous move? I am self-diagnosed with stuff-itis.

Spiritually, I do the same. I carry around baggage… I have even found that sometimes I bring stuff with me that I never unpacked from the previous move, and it really fills up the truck bed of my heart. It cuts into my gas mileage and wears on my tires. It takes up space and is heavy.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

At times, I have to just get rid of stuff and give it up. I remember a profound moment for me during prayer. I realized that I gladly surrendered the bad to God. I wanted to get rid of my sins and guilt. Glad to see it go. Sorry for this. Give me strength to repent of that. Really, I want to seek God and that sort of stuff just gets in the way.

But wait, there’s more.
I was glad to give up the other bad stuff too. God take my student loan. God take this cold I have. God take this exam. Whew. I could get used to this.
This was easy. It was like I had a meal and when finished, God said, “Hey. I’ll take the leftovers.” There you go, God, you are welcome. Yep, I had surrendered all my bad and it felt good. I felt lighter.

Then something hit me. I hadn’t surrendered all. I gave God only what I thought he wanted. Then a much deeper cleansing came. What if I gave God my good too? What if I gave God my control over where I lived? What if I surrendered my health? My family’s safety? My hobbies? My comfort? The familiar? This list of “stuff” kept coming to mind. One by one I began to surrender them to God. Now, it required something new… I had to trust God with my comfort, my safety, my provision, my fun, my family, my, my, my… my all. And you know, with a little wavering in my voice, I say “I surrender all.”

How blessed we are to serve a good, good Father who is faithful in all of His promises. May I challenge you to go through your “stuff” and give it all to “him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us?” Do you have stuff-itis too?