I cleaned out my pantry and refrigerator today. Boy, did I find some interesting stuff! Leftovers, half-eaten bags of snacks, old candy, and even a couple of impressive science-looking experiments that were taking on a life of their own. It was a mess.

As I was tossing out the junk and reorganizing the shelves, I started thinking about how our hearts need to be cleaned out from time to time. I’m sure we all have some stuff in there that has gone sour or rotten that could make us sick. Maybe some leftovers. Or some things that we meant to use but never got around to actually enjoying. Maybe some unhealthy stuff that we should have never put in there in the first place.

Pride.

Anger.

Prejudices.

Regret.

Unhealthy attitudes.

Bitterness.

Jealousy.

Unforgiveness.

Hate.

Unrealistic expectations.

Selfishness.

I kept putting off my cleaning project because I didn’t think that I had enough time to do it. I finally made time today because I just couldn’t deal with the mess any longer. Plus, I had some new items that I wanted to put away.

We have to let go of the old to make room for the new.

Is there some old junk in your heart that needs to be cleaned out? Some stuff that is making you sick? Or taking up space that could hold something fresh? Don’t put off the cleaning process. Make yourself a priority and take good care of your heart.