At the beginning of the year, we often tackle decluttering projects. But have you considered how to declutter your soul? Check out this article I wrote for iBelieve.com.
My husband often quips, “Any garbage day that my wife hasn’t put me out on the curb, I’m grateful. She loves to throw things out.”
While I would never try to get rid of my husband (he is one of the best things in my life!), I do take pleasure in cleaning my closets and clearing the clutter. Not that it’s always easy. I still struggle with getting rid of sentimental items like the prom dress from high school or practical garments like the sweater that kept me warm through many a cold winter. But once I’ve removed the things I no longer wear, I’m left with space. Space that helps me see the clothes I still own. Space that gives me a visual breather.
During this time of the year, many of us will set goals and make resolutions. Experts tell us that one of the top New Year’s resolutions is to get organized. So we pull everything out of closets and start to sort through the contents, throwing out what we no longer need in order to make room for what we do use, bringing a bit of order to our chaotic lives.
The new year is a wonderful time to take stock of our possessions and streamline our storage spaces. But what if we also took some time to pay attention to our hearts and declutter our souls? What do we have a tendency to hold onto that actually harms our relationships with God? What attitudes cram our hearts and crowd out peace and joy?
If you want to declutter your soul, consider throwing out these five things:
1. Sin
As humans, we are no strangers to sin. We all make mistakes. We all disobey God’s holy law.
I, for one, blurt out hurtful things in the heat of the moment. I rush through life, focused on my own needs and forget to show kindness. I neglect my relationship with God.
These sins can weigh down our hearts. Even the psalmist David experienced this. He wrote, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.” (Psalm 32:3-4 NLT)
David felt the weight of his sin when he neglected to confess them. The heaviness of unconfessed sin filled up the closet of his heart and crowded out the light of God’s grace.
But David knew the answer—clean out the closet! He goes on:
“Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” (Psalm 32:5 NLT)
Because Jesus took the punishment for all our sins, big and small, we can receive forgiveness. When we confess our wrongdoings, God completely cleans out the closet of our hearts and makes room for His grace.
Soul Decluttering Step: Read Psalm 32. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sinful actions you’ve done and harmful attitudes residing in your heart. Ask God to completely clean them out of your soul. Rejoice in His forgiveness and grace.
2. Shame
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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
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