Is Your Purse Organized?

     As my six year old was going through my purse the other day, trying to find some gum, he said "Mommy why is your purse so messy?"  I replied "I do clean it out, but it's been awhile and it never stays clean.  It's my catch all when I'm out and about, it is where I throw any and everything."  He never did find any gum and went about his way doing other things.  I however started thinking about how my messy purse was a good metaphor for how our minds can get messy.  

     As Christians we hear about the need to develop a daily habit of praying and spending time in God's Word.  We have heard lots of good reasons why this is important but until the messy purse situation came up I hadn't seen it so practically.  See we go through our days running here and there, listening to lots of words being said to us, around us, about us.  We have a lot of things we have to remember.  We listen to peoples problems and life experiences.  We answer too many questions to keep count.  We make almost constant choices, ranging from the minor to the major.  We see and hear more than we could ever possibly keep track of and our mind becomes the catch all.  It piles up with peoples questions and answers, opinions, gossip, truth and lies we are told.  It  brims over with ideas and hopes for the future.  Fears and worries lurk in the places we don't like to talk about.  Deadlines and meetings and things to remember to do swirl around in those brains of ours.  And it get MESSY and disorganized.  We don't take the time we need to "clean out" and "organize" our minds.  We just keep adding to the clutter until we feel burned out, stressed out, and wiped out.  We reach a point where we really aren't good for much but we keep on pressing on, pretending it's all good.  I mean just like a purse on the outside can look stylish and clean, the inside could be a disorganized mess of every this and that. It doesn't matter if that purse is a Kate Spade or Walmart clearance.  Both can be just a messy and in need of tending to on the inside. On the outside we can look polished and put together but on the inside we can be a disastrous mess.  We must stop putting all our energy on keeping the external looking good and spend more time cleaning up the inward parts.  A major part of this is developing the habit of spending time in God's Word.  His Word is our lifeline, our light in this dark world, encouragement for everything we could ever go through in this life, instructions on how to live the best life possible and the best organizational tool we have for our minds.  Through his word we will find refreshment for our hearts and minds and rest for our mental weariness.  We will discover truth that sets us free!  We will find a love so strong and so unconditional.  We will learn what is important and what we need to let go.  Just like you have to clean out your purse more than a few times a year, you have to spend time in God's Word regularly in order to clean up your mind, get your focus back where it needs to be and be renewed.  Acts 3:20a "Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord."

Psalm 119:105 "Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

   I want to encourage you this weekend, if you aren't already doing so, commit to spending time in God's Word regularly and maybe if you haven't cleaned out your purse in awhile, do that too!

"The instructions of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.  The commands are the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.  Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.  The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair.  They are more desirable that gold, even the finest gold.  They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.  They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.  How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?  Cleanse me from these hidden faults."  Psalm 19:7-12