We were heavily involved with a local homeless assistance shelter when I worked in youth ministry in Florida. Periodically we would take groups down to help prepare and serve a meal. This gave our youth a chance to take part in something bigger than themselves and also helped them become aware of a need in their community.
There was one time in particular when we asked to help sort through some food that had been donated. In this batch was a large donation of fresh green beans which were no longer able to be sold. Obviously, not all of these green beans were edible so we were tasked with sorting through them to keep what was good and toss what could not be served. There are really no specific words to describe the feeling of a slimy, inedible green bean between your fingers-even when wearing latex gloves. It was an unpleasant, but necessary task if we were going to keep what was useful while getting rid of the trash.
Sorting through things in our life can often have the same unpleasantness. There are habits, relationships, dreams, and beliefs which need to be picked through and cast aside for our overall health. Unless we thoughtfully separate the good and the bad, we can end up with an overall negative influence spreading throughout our lives. The task of dividing what stays from what must go won't necessarily be pleasant and may even leave a distasteful memory. The cost of not sorting things out, however, is much higher than we should be willing to pay.
