Sometimes letting go of things is so very hard to do. Clearing out the clutter in our homes is difficult. In the weeks of preparing for my move, I was amazed at all the stuff that I had collected or misplaced over the years!
In my mind those items were very important to me….photos of dear friends and family, souvenirs from trips I’ve taken, keepsakes, awards from previous jobs, handyman tools and even books I have not gotten around to reading. I even found the misplaced remote to my DVD player! Not having these things in order or knowing where they were made it harder for me to accomplish certain things around the house.
I know this seems normal but it got me to thinking about the clutter in our spiritual lives. It can be difficult for us to grow as a Christians the way Christ intended if we continue allowing certain things to “clutter” our lives.
I want to share 4 complex choices that can cause clutter in our lives and that we sometimes may or may not even realize how they affect our relationship with God.
When God created us He gave us the ability to make choices. He does not want just a bunch of robots. However, sometimes the choices we make can draw us away from Him.
It may be for years, months, weeks, days, or even just a few hours. The choices we make have an impact on our relationship with Christ. We need to include Him in every decision we make. Otherwise, spiritual clutter can unknowingly invade our mind, body, and soul.
1-Commitments
We have all heard the saying or maybe even said it ourselves. “I have too much on my plate! “ Whether we feel like we have no one to help us, we want it done right so we do it ourselves, or maybe we just have a hard time saying “no”.
Whatever the reason, God’s desire is not for us to be overworked, over stressed, and overwhelmed. He wants us to have peace. The kind of peace that only He offers to those that believe in Him. (Philippians 4:7)
We must learn to ask for help and if we feel there is no one, go to God and seek His direction.
2-Companions
Hmmm… whether it is a spouse, relative, or a friend; we need to be sure that those with whom we associate with do not become “spiritual clutter”.
Are you encouraged in Christ when you spend time with them? Are you are left feeling drained? Do those that are closest to you love the Lord? Is God glorified in the relationship? These are questions we need to ask ourselves in regards to our companions.
Here are a few things that SHOULD occur in a good relationship. There is accountability with kindness.
We are encouraged, motivated, comforted, and energized. We are patient with each other. There is forgiveness when mistakes take place. We accept one another unconditionally..
1 Thessalonians 5:11. “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another…”
3-Compromises
This has been a difficult one for me. There is no such thing as being a “little dead” or a “little pregnant” either you are or you are not. We need to realize that compromising is a close personal friend of rationalizing.
We rationalize in our minds convincing ourselves that it’s not that bad or it’s just a little this or a little that.
Galatians 5:9 reads, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”
This is in reference to the small amount of yeast that causes the dough to rise.
In regards to Compromise…let me ask you a couple questions. Is an apple still desirable if there is a little worm inside? Or how about this, will you consume that steaming bowl of soup while a “little” bitty fly is doing the backstroke in there? A little bit of sin is still sin.
James 4:17. “Therefore to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
When we make compromises, we open the door for that “little” bit of sin to grow into a large amount of spiritual clutter. This damages the development of our relationship with Him. It may delay the spiritual blessing God wants to bestow on us. Sometimes God may have to remove certain things from our lives because we are unwilling to do it ourselves.
4-Concerns (worrying)
I believe this is where the “clutter” can overwhelm us. It is a good thing to show concern for others, for our health, and especially loved ones. However, when that concern leads us to worrying too much it clutters our mind while weakening our faith.
I want to share a couple of verses where in one instruction is given about worrying and the other reminds us what we need to concern ourselves with.
“Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God” Philippians 4:6, 8
“Finally brethren whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think on these things.”
I do not see anything there about worrying until you feel sick or can’t sleep at night. Worry can also affect our health, lead to unnecessary stress while taking our focus off God. Worrying adds more clutter to our lives.
In the past, I believe God has removed large amounts of “clutter” from my life because I was unwilling to do it myself. Whether it was an unhealthy relationship, a particular habit or activity; those things needed to go if I was going to serve Him completely.
From my experience it is much less painful when we recognize the “clutter” in our lives and make the necessary changes to remove it or ourselves from the situation that is causing the spiritual clutter.
My prayer is that this is a reminder how easily it is to allow clutter in our lives to adversely impact our testimony and relationship with Christ. As the leaves begin to turn and we move towards a new season; maybe it’s time to do some spiritual housecleaning and clear out the clutter in our lives …before God has to!
Food for Thought
How do you handle the clutter in you mind and heart?
Horace Williams Jr is the oldest son of a pastor who went to be with Jesus in 2020. He is an award-winning author and amateur chef who loves Jesus Christ. His passion for Christ inspires readers to draw nearer to the God who loves them.
Oh the worry-thing is definitely my greatest source of spiritual clutter. What an intriguing concept. Going to the chewing on this one! Happy to link with you at Grace and Truth today! Blessings in getting settled with your move.
Thank you for your visit and your comment Ginger. I am glad I gave you something to “chew on”. it is funny how God speaks to us through the smallest things. I am humbled as He continues to show himself to me in so many ways. Have wonderful weekend and God bless you and yours in all your endeavors!
Hello friend, you have shared 4 C’s that can occupy our hearts. The more of these things we have in our closets, the less space we have for the Lord.
You are Blessed Horace.
Amen Ifeoma! I could not agree more. Thank you for your insightful comment and for the visit too. I am trying not to submit to concerns/worrying as we speak. I am thankful that god id with me always. I need to keep my eyes on him I am always blessed by your comments. It did not go into my spam either:) Glad I switched hosting companies! Blessings to you my friend!
I am happy my comment popped up straight a way too, friend.
Remain Blessed, Horace
Thank you for your comment Ifeoma. I am blessed by my Savior each day. I pray you feel His blessings too
Great insights! Love the encouragement to remove excess and make room for God’s will and purpose.
Thanks for the visit and and your comment Tina. Have a wonderful week and may God bless you and yours!
Horace, such wisdom in your words. I agree it’s time to clear out the clutter in our homes and the clutter in our hearts and minds because “worrying too much it clutters our mind while weakening our faith.” Thank you, Horace, for sharing your heart at #IntentionalTuesday on Intentionally Pursuing. : )
Thanks for visiting Crystal! I thank God for the ideas He brings to mind and he words he gives me to articulate. I am so blessed by what you do there at Intentionally Pursuing. I am beyond thankful for your willingness to let me share. Blessings to you and yours my friend!
Wise words Horace. I have difficulty letting go and trying not to worry too much. Thank you for sharing your insights with us at #WednesdaysWisdom.
Thanks for visiting Sue. It’s always great to hear from you! Yes I have struggled with worry for many years…especially on Sunday nights before work! With God’s help, I am definitely getting better at trying to keep my mind as “clutter” free as possible by trusting Him. Thank you for the opportunity to share at #WednesdaysWisdom. God bless!
Worry! I know it’ wrong, but it is something I still do even after trying to work on not doing it. Horace, you had me laughing at the fly. We are towards the end of “fly season” here and this year it has been horrible. I can’t wait for these things to disappear. Thank you for linking up with Thankful Thursdays.
Thanks for the visit Lori! Just remember causing us to worry is one of Satan’s favorite weapons to get us off the path God has us on. I too am learning to trust god completely and remember that when I keep my eyes on Him instead of my circumstances, I can have God’s indescribable peace! Thank you so much for the opportunity to share Lori. Blessings
Oh wow Horace! I just love what you shared here.
I have a bit too much clutter (especially in the area of worry). This post just spoke to my spirit. I’ve been cleaning my house for winter… time to clean areas of my life too.
Pinning this to my Deliberate FAITH board.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely day.
Thanks for visiting Jennifer! I am so pleased that you enjoyed the post! I am thankful that God is faithful and patient with me when I worry. I feel I am getting a little better but I know that is one of Satan’s favorite tools to get me off track. Thanks again for visiting. Have a wonderful week. God bless
I love the concept of spiritual clutter. We’ve all got it, but just like clutter, after a while we stop seeing it. I’ve learned that part of the de-cluttering process is accepting a bigger mess for a time in order to get to the bottom of the pile. When I do de-cluttering projects my whole house turns into one big giant mess. I’ve got to push through that messy season to get to the joy that is certain to accompany the completion of the task. I feel it is the same with spiritual growth. Knocking back on commitments, cleaning up unhealthy relationships, taking back compromised ground, and re-claiming our peace of mind is a messy proposition. But, oh the joy…..an uncluttered spirit is awaiting us, so push through the mess and enjoy your new un-cluttered life!
Amen Sarah! Thanks for visiting and your insightful comment. I love how God reveals himself to us in so many ways! I struggled with de-cluttering but yes there has been that joy you mentioned once some of the “clutter” was removed. I pray that my eyes remain open to seeing and not ignoring the clutter that can affect our relationship with Christ! Thanks again for visiting Sarah. Have a blessed week!
This is a great article, I love the way you have made these points in a simple manner so we can wrap our minds around this topic. I think that God has been clearing the clutter out of my life in the last several years. It has been painful, but I have learned what to value and what is clutter. He’s still working, but I am learning to become who He wants me to be, what I was put here for. The work is sharpening and honing me, I pray that we all continue to keep open minds and hearts, for we never know when we are being called.
Thank you for visiting and your thoughtful comment Nikki. I admit that God had to clear out some clutter just last year but it has been for the best! His doing that has brought me so much closer to Him and allowed me the opportunity to create this blog for His glory! Thanks again for the visit. Have a wonderful weekend and may God bless you and yours in all your endeavors!
Really inspiring piece! Time to clean up the spiritual clutters in my life before God has to do it for me, Thank you for sharing this wonderful message. God bless you!
Amen…so glad for the visit. Glad to hear you were inspired. Blessings to you as well and have a great week!