The Great Purge of 2018

Leadership

I had lived in the house for over a decade. During that time I had built and filled barns, packed garages, filled attics, and stored tools, leftover materials, and anything I might need one day in rafters. I had enough stuff, I thought to last the rest of my life. And all of it was worthless.

When my wife, Susan, and I moved out of that house we decided to take none of it with us. Literally. We purged it all. I gave away trailers full of tools and equipment, burned piles of leftover materials, old furniture, and anything that we could (one of the biggest and most enjoyable bonfires I've ever done). I rented and filled multiple dumpsters with everything else. We allowed ourselves to keep clothes from our current wardrobes (older stuff was donated), a box or two of essential keepsakes, books (I have a problem), two chairs, and a coffee table we recently purchased. The entire purging process was one of the most freeing things I've ever done and don’t miss anything. We committed to living notoriously light and if we aren't actively using something, we don't keep it. That mindset helps us avoid buying a lot of "stuff".

"Then he said, 'Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.'" Luke 12:15

God doesn't want your stuff, he wants your heart. We live in a world that supports a multi-billion dollar industry that provides storage units for people's stuff they no longer (or never) use or need. It's crazy! Imagine a world where all the money we wasted on "stuff" was used to help others, save for the future, make memories, or provide for the next generation.

"Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:20-21

When we went through the great purge of 2018, it not only decluttered our home but our minds and hearts also. While I am still tempted and attracted to things, I am forced to ask myself, am I going to use it, and where am I going to put it? If I can't answer those two questions to our satisfaction, it's a no-go. It also fosters a mindset of generosity as stuff steps aside, we can see our family, others, and God far more clearly.