It’s very hard to stay focused, and feel free when our lives are overflowing with clutter and excess baggage. It’s not really how we’ve been designed to live. I’ve found that when God encourages us to de-clutter it’s like He takes everything out and “puts it on the back lawn” so to speak. We can then look and say, “Wow, I have a fresh canvas and what do I actually want to put on it? Do I want any of this “stuff” or do I want to take advantage of this fresh start?”
When we declutter a room or area of our house a good way to get motivated and have direction is to spend a few minutes visualising the room and how we want it to look. What are the most essential pieces of furniture? What doesn’t belong in the room but has just gravitated there? What is on the floor and what is on the other flat surfaces? Once we’ve visualised how the room will look uncluttered and figured out what is essential we can get rid of the rest.
The same can be said for our lives. It’s good to spend some time looking at our life and how we want it to look. What’s valuable, what do we really want and what has just gravitated into our lives? What is crowding and cluttering our life, like unnecessary things on a floor?
This is where I find it helpful to ask God to reveal his design for my life. What does it look like to Him when I’m uncluttered, focused and free. What does He say is essential and what do I need to surrender to Him? I ask for a release of vision, because once I can visualise how my life will look uncluttered, I am far more likely to let God move in my world and to let go of my clutter.
When our home is filled with clutter, trying to tackle a mountain of stuff can be quite overwhelming. Many advise to start with just five minutes. These baby steps are important; they are a start, and tomorrow we can take another five minutes And another the next day. Before we know it, we’ll have cleared a whole cupboard then a a room and soon our whole house.
The same can be said for starting the decluttering process in our emotional, spiritual and mental lives. Start with taking five minutes today to ask God where you can de-clutter your life. Then tomorrow do it again and then the next until you grow to love and value the de-cluttered look in your life, the freedom it brings and the new room decluttering creates in your heart and mind for what really matters.
“Let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.”(Hebrews 12:1)
“Casting all your care on him; for he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:24)
Prayer: Lord thank you that you want me to live a life that is full of life and freedom. Help me to de-clutter my life, whether that be both physically in my home, work, my inner world or other areas of my life. Please give me wisdom and clarity to know what to hold onto to, what to let go of and what to throw in the rubbish. In Jesus Name Amen.
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