With the Christmas decorations and presents stored, I survey my house. In my closets, I see too much stuff—stacks of sweaters, overflowing shoe boxes, and piled-up accessories. Articles of clothing lay untouched for months, sometimes years, gathering dust and musty smells. I bet some of those clothes are now too tight or out of style, hanging in the closet. Shoes and purses spill from every available space; the sheer quantity of my belongings means I can’t fit a thing else in. The air carried the musty smell of leather and the fine dust of long neglect. Surrounded by the accumulating clutter, I question whether there’s space for Jesus in my life or if I’ve already pushed Him aside.
Appliances and cookware cram and overflow the kitchen. In the pantry, two or three bottles of the same type of spices. Boxed food dating back to before time began gathering dust on the shelves. Moldy cheeses and fruits, their surfaces fuzzy with white and green, wasted away, buried under other foods. Despite our overflowing shelves, we still buy more groceries, cramming them in until there’s barely any space left.
Our Obsession with Clutter
Other families own so much stuff—furniture, clothes, and countless other items—that they need to rent storage facilities to hold it all. The sheer volume of their belongings forced one family I knew to rent three storage units in different parts of town, each unit filled to the brim with their excess possessions. Have you noticed how many storage places are popping up in your city? We’ve become obsessed with accumulating possessions, our homes overflowing with stuff.
The need for more things pervades society, visible in overflowing landfills and unsustainable practices. All-you-can-eat restaurants, with their overflowing buffets and endless plates of food, cater to the desire for overindulgence. Blank calendars, devoid of exciting pursuits, leave us with a gnawing sense of unfulfilled potential and wasted time. We’re always busy, trying to cram eighty hours of work into a forty-hour week. The pressure is immense. Over-committed children juggling multiple activities left everyone feeling exhausted. We own countless possessions and experience more than any of our ancestors ever could, yet are we happier for it?
Less Clutter Not More
How do we solve this problem? As I travel through God’s creation, witnessing the simple contentment of families with few possessions, I’m struck by their satisfaction. The Myanmar women’s faces, though framed by simple clothing, beam with such genuine joy it’s infectious. In Nepal, families gather for meals of simple rice, sharing laughter and stories as the sun sets. I spend time with Kenyan women with lives unburdened by rigid schedules. With a free schedule, they can sit and chat with me over steaming cups of tea, enjoying the peaceful moment and a relaxed conversation.
Simplify
Do our possessions define us, or do they restrict us? I plan to simplify my life this year by decluttering my closets, donating unwanted items, and buying less. The goal is to reduce visual and mental clutter. I want to clear my calendar to make more time for get-togethers with friends, laughing and sharing stories over coffee or dinner. As a Christian, I feel God’s gentle call urging me towards a simpler, more prayerful life, a life less consumed by material things.
Christ desires my complete and undivided attention, my every thought, feeling, and action. When my focus is on worldly possessions, the clamor of greed and materialism drowns out the quiet voice of Christ in my heart. I pray that by removing distractions from my home, I can better focus on my relationship with Christ, the most important thing in my life.
What can you do to de-clutter your life and find more freedom in Christ alone? How can you find more room for Jesus?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we become obsessed with owning stuff and clutter. We focus on our things more than on our relationship with you. Help us learn to live a simpler life that has you at the center of everything. You are the most important thing in life. Thank you for all you provide to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Yvonne M. Morgan is a Christian #author, #blogger, and #speaker. #BibleGatewayPartner
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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