Day Three Of 6th Annual Fast & Detox: Take Inventory

We have officially crossed the halfway mark. Only one more day left, can you believe it? It’s time for us to clean house. When I say that, I don’t mean clean your physical house. Although, you can do that too. It’s time to refresh your space. When I say space, I mean everything around you. It’s time to clean up your social media, phone, environment and whatever else needs it. It’s time to clean up shop. I’ve told you guys before, I am a hoarder. It’s hard for me to get rid of things. That’s a bad trait because I never have a room for the new things. God can’t bless you if you don’t have room. People normally spring clean, but why not do it for fall. We are entering the last quarter of the year, and a new phase of your life. You don’t want to go into the new chapter with all disorganization. It’s time to get things in order. 

Cleaning your space is great for two reasons. The first reason why decluttering and cleaning your space is great is because, what you're around is what you become. I know you’ve heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Whether you believe that statement is true or not, there is some truth to it. Success breeds success. If I hang around a bunch of millionaires, I would ultimately become a millionaire. Why? Because what you're around gets into your mind and when they get into your mind it comes out of you. I was watching a Sarah Jakes Roberts sermon, and she said “Whatever is around you, will get on you, then get in you and will come out of you.” That statement hit me so hard, because of how true it is. Think about an abusive person, A lot of the times, they first experience abuse at home, then grow up to become the abuser. If I’m in a messy, unorganized and chaotic environment, how do you think I would subconsciously be in the world? So many times when I feel all over the place, I look at my space and it is a direct reflection. Let me take it a step further, your environment has a direct affect on your growth. Your environment includes: the friends you keep, the space you live in, the things you do daily, the places you go, the things you watch, the things you eat and so much more. You can’t grow beyond your environment. Genesis 12:1-5 says, “1 The LORD said to Abram: Go forth* from your land, your relatives, and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you. 4 Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan.” Some things are not going to happen until you shift your environment. You have to move some things to receive some blessings God wants to give you. At the beginning of the fast I had you write down what you wanted to receive from this, now I’m asking you how bad do you want it? Are you willing to change your environment to grow? 

The second reason why cleaning your space is crucial is because, you have to make room for the things you want. On the first day I said, “How can God give you more, when you aren’t grateful for what you have.” Gratefulness doesn’t only show with words, it shows in your actions. If you’re thankful for your space, take pride in cleaning decluttering and organizing it. I watched a Steve Harvey interview before and he said, “For years I would tell my mom I’m going to get a new car, but my old broke down car, was sitting on bricks in the garage. Everyday I would tell her that I’m getting a new car and she would ask me how, I don’t have room for it. One day, I had a friend tow the old car out the garage. A few weeks later, I was able to get my new car. My mom said to me, I knew you were going to get it because you made room for it. You can’t ask God for something and then not make room to receive it.” You can’t say you want a new car, but your current car is a mess. You can’t say you want a new relationship, but you’re still dibbling and dabbling with old flings. You can’t want a new job, when you’re barely applying yourself at your current job. Decluttering lowers anxiety and stress levels. A messy space equals a messy mind. Decluttering, frees us from unnecessary distractions. Keeping your physical and digital space clutter free and organized, ultimately give you more time to focus on what really matters. Less clutter equals more space. There is no need to hang onto anyone, or anything, that doesn’t bring you joy or inspiration. If it’s taking up unwanted space in your physical or digital place, it’s time to say goodbye. Clutter can distract you, weigh you down and in general it invites chaos into your life. This new season we are entering is going to need our entire focus. We can’t afford to be stressed over the clutter around us. 

Take some time to declutter your space. Start with the physical, your house, car, office, etc. Once that’s cleaned up and organized, move on to the digital. We spend so much time on our phones, what are you giving your time to. Clean up your contact lists, erase old photos, delete people off your social media who don’t serve a good purpose, and delete apps that drain your energy. Unfollow anyone who doesn’t motivate you or make you feel good. If you’re following someone, and their content is making you feel negatively about yourself, it’s ok to unfollow. Next, I want you to look at the people you talk to most. Are they speaking life into you, or are they just gossiping about the next person? Successful people understand that editing your circle is crucial. The people around you have more power than you think. Make sure you’re not giving your energy to people who don’t deserve it. People around you should bring out the best in you and if they aren’t, why are they in your life? Moving on to the places you hang out, if you are in spaces that don’t serve you, stop going. Maybe God is calling you to relocate, start to take steps in that direction. What music are you listening to daily, is it making you feel worse or encouraging you? Maybe you can’t watch the shows you’ve been watching, because it brings out the jealousy in you. Take some time to go thru every aspect of your life and clean up shop. 

I know doing all this may feel daunting, but once you’re done, you’ll feel refreshed. We are making room for the things we say we want. Right now you’re holding on to things, but God wants you to release them so he can give you better. Here’s the thing with trusting God, you must understand that he would never lead you wrong. I know you don’t see it but he has great plans for you. Get rid of the things that are taking up space. Organization is good for your mind, it brings clarity. You’re almost at the finish line, finish strong.