“The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are.”
Mother Teresa
Clutter is the antithesis of freedom for me. Yesterday my husband and I were discussing our negative habits which prevent us from being more productive and fulfilling God’s destiny. At the top of my list is clutter on my desk. I need to put into place systems of organization or habits to stay on top of all my paper clutter. (Please send me any tips that work for you!)
Clutter drags me down and depresses me. It causes stress and prevents productivity. When I’m disorganized I waste time looking for things and the ease of doing things is hijacked. Instead of running on a flat track, there is clutter to hurdle. I experience peace though, when things have found their proper home. The word “clutter” is derived from the Middle English word, “clotter,” which means to coagulate. That’s exactly how I feel when surrounded by clutter: stuck. The other day, the Lord spoke to me in regards to clutter. He said I have no idea the extent of weight and how much clutter has held me back. He went on to encourage me that when I de-clutter my environment, I will have much more freedom, focus, and energy.
There are other areas that could use a healthy dose of spring cleaning in our lives. Our minds can easily become cluttered with our “to do” list, wondering how our loved ones are doing, and the normal cares of life, which can cause us to worry or become anxious. Matthew 6:33 is Jesus’ solution to our worries. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Besides our mind and our physical surroundings, clutter can take residence within our hearts. Unforgiveness can cause us to be stuck, holding us back from becoming Christ-like. When our hearts are cluttered with offense, we are the ones held captive. Anger, resentment, jealousy, rejection, shame and bitterness are just a few of the emotions that can clutter our hearts and rob us of our peace.
We deal with heart clutter much in the same way as we deal with physical clutter. We either find a home for it and process our hearts, or we let go of it and toss it into the trash. We need to grieve our loss, pour out our hearts to God, repent of our sin, and let go of offense and forgive. God promises us in Luke 6:37, when we forgive then we will be forgiven. When we do this, our peace will be restored. We will also experience greater freedom in Christ and a release to be who God created us to be.
Anyone ready for some spring cleaning? Let’s dig in and de-clutter our hearts and minds and experience more freedom as we have less clutter.
“Freedom does not mean I am able to do whatever I want to do. That’s the worst kind of bondage. Freedom means I have been set free to become all that God wants me to be, to achieve all that God wants me to achieve, to enjoy all that God wants me to enjoy.”
Warren Wiersbe
Relevant Reflections:
1. What is cluttering your mind and heart?
2. How does God specifically want you to de-clutter those areas?