Clearing the Clutter

     Clutter! I don’t even like the resonance of the word, do you? What does your mind conjure up when you contemplate the word clutter? Do you see stacks of magazines or newspapers piled on the floor, or are you imagining that closet that you desperately hope no one looks into before you have a chance to do some clearing? Have you ever had your doorbell ring and you ran around the room gathering the clutter before you would answer the door? Clutter just sounds like it is in the way and needs to be removed. A quick research of the word found it described as “a disorderly heap or assemblage.” Another description was “a mess, disorder, or a jumble.” It certainly doesn’t sound very appealing.

As we begin a new year many of us make plans to clear the clutter in our homes and get rid of the accumulation of things we no longer need. For those with small children it is often a stack of clothing that no longer fits. (After the holidays, perhaps it is our clothing that doesn’t fit!) You may be removing the old toys from your playroom to make room for the news toys that Christmas frequently brings. Or possibly it is the remains of the Christmas wrapping paper, tissue, and gift bags that once looked so beautiful and now has become clutter.

As I was recently enjoying my usual morning prayer time, my mind began to wander to my need to clear the clutter in my house. My prayer time takes place in the same room that I do my scrapbooking, and I found the clutter of my scrapbook materials to be distracting. Clutter can actually cloud your mind and make your thoughts obscure! I dwelt on that thought for a short moment and then felt guilty that I had allowed my mind to drift during prayer. Immediately I felt the Lord speak to me and remind me that it wasn’t just the clutter in my room that needed to be taken care of. He gently whispered to me that I needed to make sure that I kept the clutter out of my heart. I then began to search my heart and ask the Lord to remove anything that was not pleasing to Him. Psalm 51 is a prayer of David that we would do well to apply to ourselves. In verse 10 he cries, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Allowing clutter to remain in our hearts will rob us of the joy of the Lord that so freely belongs to us. In verse 12 David asked, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation . . .” Nehemiah 8:10 declares to us, “ . . . the joy of the Lord is your strength.” By removing the clutter in your heart, joy will be restored, and the added benefit is that you will be strengthened. Clutter can be draining to your spirit and energy level and put you in a negative mode whether physically or spiritually. It feels so good to get a closet cleared, a room cleaned, or even just the organizing of a drawer. Organization brings freedom to your mind and even your time. It is the same spiritually, and you can attain great peace by clearing the clutter of your heart and life. Experience the turn from chaos to order, from unrest to calm, from confusion to clarity.

Keep in mind that clearing the clutter is not a one-time event. After a complete cleaning and clearing, it can ever so quickly become cluttered once again. It is a daily, weekly, monthly occurrence that must take place for us to keep a clean heart. There are many professional organizers to help with the physical aspect of clearing the clutter, but we know the Supernatural Organizer who can give you a new heart with one clean sweep. As you begin this new year, clear the clutter in your home and in your heart. You will reap great reward!

American Psychological Association (APA):

clutter. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved December 25, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/clutter

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

clutter. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/clutter (accessed: December 25, 2007).

Modern Language Association (MLA):