The Last several days in our home have been chaotic. We have been actively fighting against ourselves in decluttering. Last night was the apex of it, in which we went through 15 bins of items, filled up two trash cans, and threw away extra bags in the city dumpster, and gave away several boxes worth of items we no longer needed. And we’re not done; there’s still more clutter to bust. And why are we doing this? Because even though we don’t have much in this world, we realize we have more than we need or can enjoy. We hold on to things, and file things away, and don’t really need much of it. So, we’re simplifying our home.
In many respects, the clutter of our home is much like the clutter we tack on to our lives. The need to always be busy, always have an activity, or have a screen on, a book in hand, or to be entertained when nothing is going on. Yet God says, a few times “be still and know I am God.” We wonder why we can’t hear His voice when there’s so much clutter we add to our lives to intentionally block it out. We were never meant to be this busy, this knowledgeable, this much of a hoarder of time, treasures, and talents. We were meant to be with Him, and to use all He gives us to love Him with all of our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. My challenge today is this: examine your life. What clutter have you accumulated? What in your life is keeping you from seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness?
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Mark 12:28-34
“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.”
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