My wife’s grandmother used to say that three moves were as good as a fire. Meaning of course that when you move, you purge your belongings. However, I believe that in order for that saying to be true, you would need to move three times within five or six years, otherwise you just accumulate more and more stuff that will then need to be purged!

I remember when we moved to our current home about six years ago. My wife carefully “purged” the things in our old house, not once, but twice. Nonetheless, when we unpacked the boxes for our new place, all we could say was, “I wonder why we moved … that!

At the time of our last move, my wife’s purging went into one of three piles: Keep (and far too much went in that pile!), give away and throw away! We once again are facing an upcoming move. With me requiring more care than I can receive at home, I have recently moved into a long-term care facility. This particular one is time-sensitive, and when my time is up, I will have to move to a new, permanent care home. Since we live in the eastern part of Canada, and since we currently have one son in western Canada (4000 km away!) and one son in China (half a world away!), my wife and I feel it is the right time for us to sell our home and move to be near one of our sons. And since western Canada is not only closer but also doesn’t require immigration, my wife is currently busy “purging” for a move to Edmonton, Alberta. Only this time, she has created a fourth pile: To sell! My wife has discovered Facebook Marketplace! And much of what she might have sent to the dump or given away during the “purge” of our last move is now going into this “sell” pile!

There is a saying that goes, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. My wife is capitalizing on this, and she has discovered that people will actually pay for what she would consider pure junk good for nothing but the dumpster! Yes, I’m serious! She doesn’t ask a lot for the stuff, but it is all disappearing, and it isn’t ending up in landfill or the charity thrift shops!

This is, after all, the reason why we have thrift stores. It is because what one man considers junk is considered treasure by another who is willing to purchase what another man is willing to throw away! The only problem is, many, many people are donating their “junk” to these types of places right now, so much so that sometimes they have to turn people away! My wife had this happen to her just yesterday. She pulled up at the local gift shop only to find there was a rope across the donation area. When she asked why, she was told that they were completely full! She then went to another oneto find that although there wasn’t anyone turning junk away, the donated items were so piled up that you couldn’t even get your car close!

This all makes me think about the “junk” in my own life. To be sure, I have contributed to the “junk” that my wife is now “purging”, but I am actually referring to a different kind of “junk”: the “junk” in my heart! I’m talking about addictions, anger, unforgiveness, selfishness, self-pity, entitlement, greed… This list could be long indeed, but I’ll let each one of you finish it with the “junk” in your own hearts, because, let’s face it: we ALL have “junk” in our hearts: .. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23 NIV).

Fortunately for us, even our heart “junk” is Somebody’s treasure! And that Somebody never turns anyone’s junk away!

What do I mean? I mean we have Someone Who wants nothing more than to take our heart “junk” away from us and set us free! He wants to “purge” our hearts and make them pure!

David cries out to God to take away his heart “junk”: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalms 51:7 NIV); and God promises to do just that: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” (Mal. 3:3 NIV)!

How does God propose to do this? “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NIV)!

It is the Blood of Jesus, friends! It purifies us of our heart “junk”! Jesus’ blood covers our sin, removing it as far from us as the east is from the west (See Psalms 103:12)! Then, through the workings of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are gradually “purged” of the junk, and God’s “junk” pile never gets too full to take more!

Do you need to purge a bit? Why not try my wife’s four-pile method? And don’t be afraid to add things to the “sell” pile. Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to purge your heart! It’s a simple one-pile method! We pray, as David did, for our hearts to be purified, ever knowing that God keeps His promises to purge our hearts!

Inspired by Rob Chaffart
Founder, Answers2Prayer Ministries