I sure hope you were able to find some refreshment last week, and had some fun doing it. This week we are going to look at living on purpose. Personally, I have a huge desire to live a balanced life. I truly believe there is freedom to be found there. And being intentional about clearing the clutter will set the stage for living a balanced life.

Balance doesn’t come easy with the face-paced life we lead as single moms. There never seems to be enough time to meet everyones needs and maintain a sane, positive attitude. However, I believe God has called us to work toward balance in our everyday living so we can honor him and be a light to others. In return, we receive the benefit of peace. This peace is the kind of divine peace that transcends our understanding (Philippians 4:7; “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”).

I want that kind of peace, don’t you? Over the next three weeks we will target three areas of wellness—Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual. Our goal in ‘Clearing the Clutter’ is to remove the unnecessary energy wasters that sap our time and our ability to have balance.

What vision has God given you for the year ahead? Where does he want to take you physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? Go ahead—allow yourself to dream a little. Get creative and ask God to guide your thoughts and inspire you to capture his plan for your year ahead.

This week we will focus on the first aspect: PHYSICAL wellness. This can be addressed by looking at your physical health and habitual behaviors that are keeping you stuck in a cycle of chaos. It could also be the actual physical clutter in your house, work environment, car, kitchen, closets, etc.

Take a moment to pray. Ask the Lord to help you narrow down one area that needs some cleaning up. I bet something comes to mind relatively quick as you have probably struggled with this issue for a while. Well, good news, now is the time God wants to help you tackled it and make a change in the right direction.

This process of clearing the clutter and making better habits will not happen over night. So give yourself some grace; it is a process. It will require us to stretch and get a little uncomfortable in order to find a new normal. But once all is said and done, you will breathe easier and have more time to enjoy the blessings God wants you to enjoy.

Once you have the specific area of clutter that needs attention, ask yourself what stands in your way to achieve the visions God has given you for that specific area of your life? Those roadblocks are the obstacles that we need to tackle in order to clear the clutter.

Say them out loud, write them down, study yourself and your habits. Why? We can’t change what we don’t identify as a problem. Let’s call a spade a spade. God wants to bless us and he wants us to walk in victory and freedom, but he can’t help if we are unwilling to participate in the process.

Our verse this week is about living on purpose. It encourages us to prepare the way by removing the obstacles. The hard part is discerning what is a true obstacle. This is where prayer really comes in to play—ask God to give you insight and wisdom concerning this particular area. Then, it’s our responsibility to respond. He wants to engage us in working this process together, in tandem.

Perhaps, he is leading you to carve out five minutes in the morning or before bed to adopt a quiet-time so you can be energized by his word. Or maybe it has to do with your finances, and a good first step is to set up an easy organizational system for all the paperwork/bills.

How about changing an aspect of your diet? I’m sure we could all use that. It could be as simple as committing to making one healthy choice a day. After a few days, I bet you will notice a change.

What about those closets? Sometimes it just feels good to pick one closet and clean out all the clutter. It makes for less laundry—hallelujah!! And you spend less time deciding what to wear—hallelujah and amen!!

Lastly, you could pull out the goals you and your mentor are working and rededicate yourself to them, or possibly, add one to the list that you didn’t think was possible before but God is now giving you new energy and new vision to accomplish it.

I promise, if you put a little work in at the beginning, it will pay off in the end. Let’s be doers—not just hearers and thinkers and dreamers. This doesn’t mean we will be able to attain perfection—I can guarantee that won’t happen. But our reward is in the effort of moving from intention to action, and reaping the divine blessings along the way.

Reflect and Respond:

Write out a vision God is giving you for more balance in the area of PHYSICAL WELLNESS for the coming year. Identify any obstacles that stand in your way and pray about how to disarm each one and remove them from your life. He has made you strong and capable and wants to give you freedom in this area. Trust him as you follow his lead.

Remember, you are not alone. Be blessed this week and be fruitful.