I was talking with Sally recently, and we realized that both of us have been doing some deep-level purging and tidying in our houses over the holidays. Very often the natural mirrors the spiritual, and we thought it worth blogging about the fact that it is time to clear out the clutter.
No matter where you fall on the clutter continuum—borderline hoarder or strict neat freak—we can probably all stand to examine the “stuff” we have around us and ask the question: Do I need this? In some cases, the trash is obvious. In other cases, we need to assess. Is this thing I’ve been holding onto serving a purpose anymore or is clutter I can clear out?
Clearing out the physical clutter that so quickly and easily accumulates isn’t that much fun. Even less fun is clearing out emotional and spiritual clutter. To do so requires facing similar questions. Do I need it? Is it serving a purpose anymore? Would it be a relief to let it go? It’s not always easy to face our past and our pain. But with Holy Spirit’s help, we can examine the self-protective baggage we have accumulated over the years. We can jettison the painful cargo that gets in the way of trusting the loving heart of God.
The “facts” of our experience don’t always tell us the truth. The fact is five loaves of bread and two fish cannot feed 5,000 men plus women and children. The truth is that Jesus fed that many with that little. The facts of your experience may tell you that God isn’t good. The truth is He is. The facts may tell you that you need to look out for yourself because no one else will. The truth is you aren’t super great at meeting your own needs—and your greatest need is for connection with both God and others. The facts may tell you that vulnerability is a bad idea for so many reasons. The truth is God wants us to circumcise our hearts…to cut back the layers of self-sufficiency that we’ve built up over the years. He wants access to our hearts so that he can heal us and free us.
The world needs people who are healed enough to be able to reach out to others in kindness, love, and compassion. The ship we’re all on has enough cargo of hate and self-interest. It’s time to jettison that cargo (see Acts 27) and any other stores of pain, resentment, and unforgiveness. In doing so, we become free, by the power of God, to be ambassadors of love in a world that desperately needs it.
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