“Don’t throw it away!” Jamie shouted from the other room.
I woke up on New Year’s Day in full cleaning mode. The Christmas tree had come down the day before, please don’t judge, and all that remained of the season were a few green plastic needles I had missed while sweeping. When dirt makes itself known in my house, especially on New Year’s Day, I take it on without hesitation.
You can probably see where this is going. Cleaning day is also purging day.
I am a serial minimalist, loyal to the belief that less really is more. I dislike clutter, dust bunnies, and streaks on bathroom mirrors. So on New Year’s Day, I suited up with rubber gloves, brooms, mops, and garbage bags. It was glorious.
I have been accused, fairly, of throwing things away too quickly. On one occasion, brand-new credit cards disappeared with the junk mail. On another, a retainer met the same fate. I was fourteen and unaware of the crime I was committing. Both incidents sent my husband and my father on separate dumpster-diving missions, neither of which ended well, particularly when the missing retainer turned out to be in my pocket.
A reputation to throw it away
So yes, I have earned my reputation. And the first day of the year feels like the perfect time to take out the trash. Still, I have learned to slow down and look twice.
Some things should be thrown away. Used milk cartons, candy wrappers, and banana peels belong in the trash. But clutter is not always worthless. Valuable things can be hidden among what looks ordinary or unnecessary. That is why it helps to sort carefully, so we do not throw away what matters along with what does not.
In the middle of everything we face, persecution, grief, financial strain, disagreements, and the quiet weight of disappointment, we are told not to throw our confidence away. We are called to stay steady and to keep trusting, even when faith feels costly. The very next verse in Hebrews reminds us why: “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36).
God’s promises do not fail, but they require patience. They are received by those who remain settled in their faith, even when the noise and pressure around them make giving up, throwing them away, feel easier.
Keep on keeping on. Do throw away the things that create clutter in your faith: disappointment, anger, sadness, depression, and the like. But don’t mix in your confidence in God with the clutter. Hang on to it because if you do, you will receive your promise.
