My family is neck-deep in our adventure of moving. We are almost done packing and relocating our things from one house to another. If you’ve ever packed and moved your own household, you begin to realize just how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the years. It’s one thing to collect and use items over time, it is something very different to have to look at each item you own and evaluate if it should stay or go.
You may not find yourself having to relocate the items you’ve accumulated in your home, but perhaps we should evaluate other things in our lives to consider if it’s time to let them go. We can consider if habits, thoughts, mindsets, or even beliefs are still serving us well or if its time to let them go. While packing I had to quickly evaluate what I would keep and what would be discarded. So as we consider some of these aspects of our lives, let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
Can I still use this?
Notice I didn’t ask is this useful? That’s a different question. I asked myself can I use this? Does this still serve me well and help me achieve whatever I’m trying to achieve? Or do I have it and rarely, if ever, use it.
Does it still work properly?
Have you ever held onto something that is broken because you remember how much you enjoyed when it worked? We do this with our thought patterns too. We enjoy a version of reality that may no longer exist, but we just can’t seem to let it go, even if it has become broken.
Do I have others just like it?
If one is good, two is better… right? No. Sometimes we repeat patterns in several areas of our life because it feels comfortable. The truth is, we just keep filling our minds with what is familiar so much that we lose space and ability to consider, and welcome, new patterns in.
Does this still fit correctly?
There is a reason many things are just a fad – we outgrow it! Whether the changes occur physically or mentally, we grow every day. As we age, we mature in our thinking, wisdom, and our discernment. Our interests change and we open our minds to new ideas and concepts. But sometimes this comes at the cost of realizing our old theologies no longer fit anymore.
It’s okay to let go of something good to embrace something better. We may just find the change is long overdue and leads us in a new, healthier direction. Maybe it’s time to let go…
Be blessed!
Jennifer
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” Ecclesiastes 3:1