Keeping up with Jesus, not the Joneses

Yesterday I started on a project that has put me in a little slump. I have this wonderful craft room downstairs that is my creative room. I painted it in a beautiful apple green color, and it is my space! Well, all that is going to change. You see we have two boys, 13 and 7, and they share a bedroom. Unfortunately the time has come where the 13 year old wants and needs his own space. So what do we do as parents, we give up what we have for them. To say I'm okay with this would be an understatement. I don't want to give up "my space!" And, I don't want to go through all the clutter in my room. It seems I have a knack for storing projects that I want to complete. Will I ever get to those projects, yeah in about 20 years when the kids are gone! Will I still want to make those projects then? No. So I am taking a hard look at all I have "collected" and am cleaning out the clutter. And now that the process has begun I have to say it feels good to get rid of the junk. I am looking forward to cleaning up and de-cluttering. In fact, I think I will tackle the closets next!
Sometimes we need to de-clutter our lives because we end up with too much "stuff." De-cluttering is never easy, we drag our feet, we moan and complain but when the task is complete, satisfaction! Americans are very good at "collecting stuff." We try to "keep up with the Joneses" as they say. It gets very costly to keep up. These items not only cost money, but time. Time we could spend with family, friends, God. What if we spent as much time trying to "keep up with Jesus!" I'm not saying you need to get rid of everything, but look around. Do you have some "stuff" you are saving for later? Are you really going to use it? Can you get rid of it and use the time and money you save for good? Jesus told us to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-21 What treasures are you storing up, are they treasures or just "stuff." Can you de-clutter and work on your heavenly treasures? Paul tells us "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. " Colossians 3:23-24 Today let's de-clutter and work on those heavenly treasures!

Heavenly Father,  you know I am just a little crabby about this de-cluttering process, help me to be a cheerful cleaner. Help me to de-clutter and start working on my heavenly treasures. I know my reward is in heaven, help me to focus on that reward not my earthly one. I know that I am blessed to live in a land of plenty, help me to not store up too much, to share with others, to "keep up with Jesus, and not the Joneses! "