A friend was telling me that he had too much stuff in his house, and that he needed to clean some of it out.
He wondered, “How do I decide what to get rid of and what to keep?”
I replied, “Keep what you need to take with you into the kingdom of heaven. Everything else is extra.”
Wow – that’s simply brilliant. Nothing more need be said. Thanks for one of the most powerful thought-starters! Food for every moment and experience of the day.
Thank you, Evan. Patty is correct. You said it all!
yes, this is wonderful….how does it apply in a functional world?
Yes, so to the point. Thank you Evan. Ali, I think what is meant is that all we really need is what Truly satisfies, things of the spirit and not of matter. Material, mortal things fade away and the joy we think they provide is short lived and in the long run, not necessary in the grand picture of things. I do feel myself being more and more grateful for the simple things, nature, flowers, birds, butterflies ~ treasures like that, that are uplifting to thought and what brings us closer to peace and harmony.
I love this! I have finally arrived at this thought (after many years of purging baggage) that I was carrying along in my house and in my thoughts!! Getting rid of the “stuff” allows for peace and calm in the present.
Enjoy what Mary Baker Eddy says in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, And Miscellany – “We own no past, no future, we possess only now. . .Faith In Divine love supplies the ever-present help and now, and gives the power to “act in the living present”.
I now live in quite the “simplied” style, having just the basics, but have gained more peace and freedom from all the stuff which allows for better clarity of thought without all the “extras” around.
Perfect!
Thanks, Evan!
Thanks for this, Evan!
Yes, one does collect a lot of mental baggage along the road , as well as material ‘stuff’, as Jane puts it. It’s time for a spring (or summer) clean!
Out with erroneous thoughts, and in with new ideas. As Mrs Eddy says, Truth makes a new creature, in whom old things pass away and “all things are become new.” S&H 201
Also, our ‘house’ is the consciousness of Love – see p.578:17
Reminds me of Jesus’ instructions in Matt: 10:9,10. After telling people to go preach he said “provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves…”
I think he meant not to rely on material things, or position, or money as you do the work of God. The shoes used to bother me, they seem to be a requirement, but you have to have faith that God will provide a smooth path for you.
Thank you for this simple, powerful thought. So helpful regarding the “ things” one gathers in thought as well material possessions.
Wow, great post! I recently sold my house and purged and purged and purged some more. It’s a great freeing feeling. And, so much less to keep clean . The only thing I can take with me into the Kingdom of Heaven is my understanding of God and the Truth I’ve learned in Christian Science. I’m working to fill up the mental house.
Thank you Evan…such a wonderful post. I just needed that today
Thanks Evan!
In response to Ali’s comment above…More and more I’m realizing the kingdom of heaven is here, now, and what one has in the kingdom of heaven are “right ideas”. These right ideas translate (appear) beautifully to what you might call a “functional world”. With this in mind, one no longer focuses on wanting or needing material objects. But what seem like required material objects are provided to meet our needs. For example, a materially minded person might focus on wanting a certain type of car, whereas a spiritually minded person focuses on the right idea of “transportation” as known by God and what is needed humanly to provide that right idea of transportation, whether it be a car, bike, bus, subway train, etc., appears in their experience to meet that need.
I was recently thinking about the story of Jesus after his resurrection at the Sea of Tiberias encountering some of his disciples who were fishing unsuccessfully (see John 21). Verse 9 of that chapter reads:
“As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.”
It occurred to me a few weeks ago that I couldn’t imagine Jesus perhaps
– gathering a bunch of sticks,
– borrowing a glowing ember from some other person’s fire,
– putting the ember in the sticks and blowing on it until the sticks caught fire,
– then going to a fish vendor to buy some fish or throwing a net into the sea to catch a fish or two himself
– asking someone if he could have some of their bread
– waiting for the fire to die down to form coals,
– then waiting until just the right time to put the fish on the fire to cook
in order to provide a “fire of coals” and “fish laid thereon, and bread” for the disciples when they got to land. Instead it occurred to me that Jesus provided the right idea of “God’s loving supply” to his disciples…and that right idea of supply appeared to the disciples as fish cooking on a fire of coals along with bread because in that instance that is the supply the disciples thought they needed.
If it is understood that there is really no “matter” as we learn from the Scientific Statement of Being on page 468 of Science and Health, then we are freed from the limitations of matter until there are no limits or conditions on how God’s right ideas can appear in our experience. And there is nothing that we will lack or have to go without when we have these right ideas in consciousness. And God’s right ideas never break, wear out, get stolen or lost. God’s right ideas are with us forever and are continually manifest in various ways in our experience eternally!
Thank you, Brian! Once again…..you Nailed It! In CS we always go back to the understanding that: “Christian Science explains all cause and effect as mental, not physical.” (In this week’s Lesson) Maybe that’s what’s really meant by “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things will be added unto you.” All Blessings!
Thank you everyone for helping me understand. I am new to this and am ever so grateful for these thoughts to freedom through Christ consciousness. Exactly what I needed.
Loved the post today! I have a great poem to share from the January 1, 1977 C.S. Sentinel. (I don’t know how to put the link in here!) It is called “Housecleaning” by Lorna Friend. I have it posted on our refrigerator to remind me to clean my mental house, as well as the house we live in.. Maybe someone else can get the link….sorry. Love to all!
Hi Daphne…This poem is so short I just copied and pasted it below rather than providing a link. Thanks for sharing it!
From the January 1, 1977 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel
Today I have to clean the house,
It’s time to clean it up.
Clean the windows
clean the floors
clean the walls
Wash away, wipe away, dust away, mop away, throw away
all the dirt and dust, until the house is clean.
Now what about my other house—
The house that is my thinking?
Clean away grouchiness
clean away lies
dust off my gratitude.
This makes my house inside as clean
as my house outside is clean.
Lorna Friend
Wonderful! Thank you, thank you Evan and Brian and all. I do purge all the time but have been doing it from material stand point. Now will be doing it from spiritual standpoint.
Thank you Daphne and Brian for that simple but gorgeous poem! Love that!
Evan, thank you so much for making me think in metaphysical terms about this topic!
Yes, I have to get rid of unnecessary items in my household – some I throw away, some I sell via EBay and of course I also give away good things without money to friends and family. But that does not seem enough, as there is still a lot of too much stuff in the house. But I lean on God and trust in His guidance.
But as I gratefully read in all your comments, dear SpiritView friends is, that the most important task is, to clean our thinking of all what is burdening us and of all what does not belong to us as God`s loved and free child. Thank you a l l very much 🙂
Mortal Mind is a lot like the airlines. Both make a heavy surcharge for extra baggage. The only difference is the airlines charge you up front so you know the cost in advance, but mortal mind lets you defer payments on the installment plan (plus an exorbitant interest rate). If we knew what the cost was upfront, we would never pack our bags so full of material nonsense. However, on the installment plan, the initial small monthly payment may seem easy to manage at first, but the total cost is hard to calculate and the balance just keeps increasing until we finally must pay the piper. Read the fine print before you pack your bag.
Michael, that comment is brilliant!