Have you ever watched the show, "Hoarders"? It's about people who have a hard time throwing things away. They simply collect and, eventually, the clutter overwhelms them.

The thing about a hoarder is that, unless there is a change within, the garbage will collect again. There was a small farming town north of Manhattan, Kansas that had a notorious hoarder family living there. They had completely filled their front porch with bags of trash, and it wasn't long before their yard and driveway were completely full of trash, broken refrigerators, stoves, worn out sofas, lawn mowers and an old car--and they didn't drive! Then one morning a sign was posted on their front door that read, "Moved Next Door." This family had literally moved next door! It seems the inside of their house was just as full of clutter and trash as the yard and so they had no choice but to move. The problem is that they took some of their old trash with them, and it wasn't long until their new house was as trashy as the old one!

While merging onto the freeway the other day, I encountered a truck going extremely slow. This was most likely due to the LARGE number of boxes, appliances, and trash that was piled high in the bed of the truck, as well as the number of items inside as well. I couldn't even see the driver due to the windows being covered with piled up boxes! The truck was struggling to carry the load and keep moving.

Sometimes our lives can be that way. We become so accustomed with all the clutter in our lives that anything different seems impossible. We'll talk about needing a fresh start or a clean break, but instead of ridding ourselves of the clutter, we avoid the situation and "move next door" hoping for a change. But unless some deep change takes place at the core of our being, we end up cluttering up our lives with the same sort of stuff as before. We'll even take it on the road with us everywhere we go and will always struggle to move forward.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, sometimes letting go of destructive behaviors, damaging emotions, and other issues of my past can be difficult to do. But I know that I am a new person in you, and you desire for me to live an abundant life. I ask that you remove all the clutter in my life to make more room for You. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT).