De-cluttering to Make Room for Jesus

“The need for less often results in a life of more.” ~Brian Gardner

My purse is a good indicator of my problem with stuff. I start with a good-sized bag. I put in the necessities: wallet, keys, lipstick, a small notepad, my phone. I usually throw in a book on my way out the door. When my daughter is with me, I add in an Epi-pen. Once a month, I add my little, zippered pouch of feminine necessities. Sometimes a Matchbox car rolls into the deep. Every Sunday, my Bible and sermon notes join the fray.

A few weeks after cleaning out my purse, my shoulder begins to ache. The tension spreads from under my purse strap all the way up my neck. I recognize the ache, so I stop, dump my purse out on my kitchen table, and cull all the extras . Ahhh! That feels so much better.

Every time, I promise myself I will not collect so much baggage. I want to know the freedom of a lightweight purse. I don’t like the tension I create when I try to drag around all of the things that seem important but which, in the end, aren’t necessary.

I imagine the rich young ruler had an overstuffed man purse when he came to Jesus, asking what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus told him in order to earn eternal life, he must keep the commandments. The rich man reports on his diligence in keeping the Law. He knows something is missing. “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” he asks (Matt. 19:20 ESV).

Jesus knew about the rich young ruler’s stuff problem and confronted it head-on, saying, “Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me” (Matt. 19:21 ESV).

Jesus found the point of tension. He identified the rich man’s issue: his possessions and rule-following were his identity and his idolatry. He counted on them to get him to heaven. Jesus turned things around on him. In order to enter heaven, the young man had to let go of his stuff, stop relying on his good deeds, and follow Jesus.

Our rich friend walked away sad because he had many possessions. His heart was cluttered with a love of stuff. His disordered heart didn’t have room for Jesus.

Just as my purse overflows with useless stuff, my heart often follows suit. I collect things in my heart that crowd out Jesus and lead to unnecessary tension. Good things done in the name of Christ start to take up room in my heart until I feel the weight of it become too much. I rely on things such as volunteer work and extra Bible studies to create intimacy with Jesus. In reality, these things often crowd him out of my heart. I end up with “the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul” (Lysa TerKeurst).

The overwhelmed feeling is my cue to go to Jesus and dump it all out. He helps me pick through all the things I have packed into my heart.  When I let go of all the extra stuff, only the necessary remains. My de-cluttered heart now has room for more of Jesus.

Scripture for Reflection

“I’m asking God for one thing,

Only one thing:

To live with him in his house

My whole life long.

I’ll contemplate his beauty;

I’ll study at his feet.

That’s the only quiet, secure place

In a noisy world,

The perfect getaway,

Far from the buzz of traffic.” (Ps. 27:4-5, MSG)

Reach for More

Maybe your purse isn’t a reflection of your heart. Perhaps it’s your closet, your email inbox, or your bookshelf. Most of us have that place where we stuff our stuff. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and unstuff. As you weed out all that is unnecessary, have a talk with Jesus about the clutter in your soul. Are there ways you are like the rich young ruler, allowing stuff to crowd out Jesus ? [Tweet “Ask Jesus to help you clear away the clutter so only he remains.”]

Friends, we can do this. We can let go of our stuff so that we have room for what is most important, both in our homes and in our hearts.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man 17 years ago. She has three energetic blessings, ages 1 to 11. Her favorite indulgences are coffee, reading, writing, and running. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.

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