“A time to keep and a time to throw away” (Ecclesiastes 3:6, NIV).
My daughter laughed, a deep belly laugh.
“Dial-up telephones? What are you talking about?”
She vaguely remembers the cordless phone from her early childhood. Still, she belongs to a generation that grew up in the age of mobile technology, where a phone is not just a device for calling but a camera, diary, bank, and fitness tracker all in one.
A wooden, gilt antique telephone might look exquisite in a museum or on a Victorian hallway table, but in a world driven by apps and instant connectivity, it serves no functional purpose. The once-luxurious cradle desk phone of the 19th century has now become a historical or decorative curiosity.
I still own a beautiful globe that was given to me as a child. I prize it for sentimental reasons, yet Google Maps serves me far better.
Too often, we cling to things that have outlived their usefulness, objects, habits, even relationships, and our lives become clogged, cluttered, and complicated. Over time, some of what we hoard disintegrates, and we realise we’ve simply been storing rubbish.
In Exodus 16, God provided manna for His people, instructing them to gather only enough for each day, except on the Sabbath. Yet some ignored His command and hoarded it, and the manna “was full of maggots and began to smell” (v.20).
Author Chuck Palahniuk once wrote:
“Hoard food and it rots. Hoard money and you rot. Hoard power and the nation rots.”
As faithful stewards, God calls us to manage our “stuff” wisely, to buy only what we need and to let go of the things that have outlived their purpose. Letting go makes space, not only in our homes, but in our hearts, for what truly matters.
Reflection
· Do I only purchase what I need, or do I buy without thought?
· Are there things in my life I need to let go of but can’t?
· How might my life change if I removed the unnecessary clutter, physical, emotional, or spiritual?
Prayer
Father, it’s not easy to let go of the things we’ve clung to for years. But as we work with You, give us clarity about what to keep and what to let go. Help us make room for Your presence – for You are the only thing we truly need.
Amen.
