At the beginning of this year, we decided to renovate our home.

As the renovations were going on, I thought to myself that this was a perfect time to declutter and get rid of a few items around the house – clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, furniture, beddings – name it. I love to clean and tidy up so I always look for any opportunity and excuse to put on my work clothes and get busy!

I started with the bedrooms, junking every thing that was sitting idle in the closets and drawers. I moved on to the other rooms in the house, enjoying every bit of the work until I got to the kitchen and I found, among other items, a lovely white cake board with silver-coated trimmings glued all around it.

This cake board had been lying idle in one of the kitchen drawers for over three years! I got it when my daughter celebrated her 10th birthday and I loved it, especially because of the silver-coated trimmings so after we had eaten all the cake that was on it, I kept the board.

Now, here is the thing. I don’t bake so I didn’t need the board but somehow, my brain convinced me that the board was worth keeping. I also justified my behaviour by telling myself that I will send it to my sister in Nigeria because she bakes. Isn’t it strange how we try to justify amd make excuses for our ridiculous actions?

I picked up the board, spent a few seconds admiring it and placed it back in the drawer. Then, I started having this conversation with myself:

“Why do you want to keep this? You don’t bake.”

“But it’s pretty.”

“Ok, but do you need it? Do you really need it? Yes, it is pretty but it is also junk. Get rid of it!”

“No.”

“Chinazo, get rid of it. You don’t bake. You don’t need a cake board. You’ve had it for over three years and it hasn’t served you in any way. Let it go.”

“Yes, I know I don’t NEED it but I WANT to keep it!”

“It is taking up space. Throw it out!”

As I talked to myself, I was also engaged in a physical exercise of throwing it in the junk bag and taking it out; throwing it in again and taking it out.

Finally, wisdom did its work on me and I threw it out!

I know you are wondering, “what’s all the fuss about an ordinary cake board?”

If you think deeply, you will realize that this is a picture of the kind of battles we have with ourselves daily. We hold on to unnecessary relationships, activities, possessions, even thoughts. They add no value, yet we refuse to let go and we make justifications for our unwise decisions. They take up space in our lives, causing us to spend time, money and other resources to keep them. We are afraid of losing them, even when we know they are of no value to us.

It is time to declutter.

Walk away from the relationships that are just there; you know, the kind of relationship where there is no giving or receiving of value. Remember this: they don’t have to be bad relationships for you to know that you do not need them.

Take stock of your material possessions. Do you really need all of them? Are you sure you need them? Okay. When was the last time you used them? Remember that getting rid of these possessions is not an opportunity to create space to acquire new ones.

Check your daily schedule. Are you busy doing ‘something’ or are you busy doing ‘nothing’? Some of the activities you are involved in can prevent you from living a balanced life so, you have to take them off your to-do list and be at peace with the decision.

Study your thought pattern. What do you think about daily? Do you create space for thoughts that are not productive? Are your thoughts positive or negative? Are they overwhelming or uplifting? If you had to put those thoughts into action, will you be pleased with the result?

It is time to declutter.

Hear what the Bible says:

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

Yes, it may look like a pretty cake board with silver-coated trimmings, but –

if it is not helpful;

if it is not beneficial,

if it is of no value,

if it does not meet a need,

then it is time to let them go.

You will be alright.