Purge

by Brandy Webb

Have you ever looked around your house and thought, okay, it is time to purge this place. Sometimes I think less is definitely more. I hate clutter. I also can’t stand when things do not have a place to go. It feels so freeing when I finally take the time to purge a room. I separate everything in piles to keep, to give away, and to just throw away. Once the task is over, the room looks so free of excess, and I feel a sense of accomplishment and peace.

Well, I am thinking that just like purging my house, I should strive to make sure I purge my thoughts. This requires purging the negatives so that all that is left are thoughts that fulfill Philippians 4:8, to think about only things that are true, honest, pure lovely, good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. 

Our minds can become just as cluttered as our homes. The Bible states that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). Since there was no television, radio, and internet back then, I am thinking that Paul is basically stating that Satan has the means to try to distort our thoughts. We can’t see air, and we can’t see our thoughts. Therefore, he likes to make our minds cluttered and disorganized. I believe this is also why Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Now, I am not saying that all our bad thoughts are Satan’s fault. No, he may have ways to tempt us here and there, but it is our fault if we grab hold of the bad and let it take root in our minds. James makes it very clear, we have the power to resist the devil, and when we do, he flees from us (James 4:7). That power is not of ourselves but of God Himself, who is able to help us defeat the temptations of the devil. He is also able to help us purge the bad in our minds, so that the good, His Word, can take root.

Just like a lot of clutter in a house can cause anxiety, a lot of bad thinking can eat at us from the inside out. We can’t let our thoughts defeat us. I believe if we diligently work on what we allow in, get rid of what doesn’t need to be there, and focus on God, the fruit of His Spirit will then take over. The world is all about tearing people down, which all started when sin entered the world. However, we have a power within us that is stronger than the world. So, “hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).