Packing and Unpacking Your Life

Packing…there is a certain art to getting all of your belongings packed into a trailer. Lots of twisting and turning and rearranging are necessary to make everything fit in the space allowed. As we have been helping our son pack to move, I have been thinking about how my days feel much like the trailer in which we have been strategically cramming furniture and boxes.

My schedule has become packed with a variety of things to the point of having very little wiggle room. It’s difficult to work in a much needed hair appointment or doctor’s appointment. I enjoy my job and all the other ministries and activities which I am involved in, but all that stuff is not fitting into my trailer of life very well. I feel like the trailer is overloaded and there is no room for some of the important things.

Moving is the perfect opportunity to get rid of some possessions you no longer need or things that must be replaced. I have come to the conclusion that I need to clean up my schedule in the same way. Somehow I must discard some stuff to make room for the items that are the most significant and necessary. Is it just me, or are you feeling bogged down too? Have you packed too much into your life? Do you need to unpack some stuff?

#1 Getting Started: Matthew 6:33 instructs us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” What better way to start than to seek God’s will for our daily schedule!

#2 Sorting Through: We must examine each action to determine if it needs to be kept, discarded, or stored for later. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Just as some things can be put in storage when we move, there may be activities that need to be set aside for now rather than discarded because it simply isn’t the right season for it.

#3 Choose Wisely: Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Don’t make hasty choices.

#4 Study God’s Word: In Joshua 1:8 God instructs, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  To know His will, we must read His word.

#5 Trust His Leading: Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

#6 Take Time for Rest: Mark 6:31 says, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’”. The disciples had been busy teaching and doing God’s will, but Jesus still encouraged them to pause to rest. Our bodies need some down time.

If you have over packed your life, unpacking probably won’t be easy. It’s difficult for most of us to let go of our stuff. There may be lots of packing and unpacking those activities to make things fit into God’s will for your life, but you will feel much more blessed each day if you follow the above steps rather than cramming too many unnecessary activities into your day.

As the new year approaches, carefully consider your daily routine. Does it reflect God’s will for your time or is it crammed full of unnecessary stuff? If you are one who despises making New Year’s resolutions, think of it as packing and unpacking and use this opportunity to clean up your schedule to fit in the most significant activities of your life.

Happy New Years and God bless your unpacking!