How many times do you go into that room and decide this is the day to start decluttering and then you get so overwhelmed that you just turn around and close the door?
Many of my clients have expressed that when there is too much clutter in a given space, they find it “hard to hear” or concentrate, it’s almost as if the clutter is screaming. The room takes on a certain “noise” level, so noisy that the only thing to do is flee from the space. Clutter is literally screaming!
Physical clutter creates visual noise
How many times have you promised yourself that you want to set aside time for God? Hearing from God is paramount to our daily purpose. Without God’s daily direction in our lives, we are just going through the motion of life.
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. Mark 4:24
How to hear God, if clutter is screaming
Determine a room, or small area in your home that is the perfect place to do become quiet and hear from God. Problem is, it’s piled high with five years of papers, sentimental items that have no home, and countless unfinished projects. Can’t someone just give me a wand and make it all go away?
How can you create a quiet space to hear from God when clutter screams so loudly?
The easiest way to bring down the visual noise from your life is to remove the clutter. One of my clients expressed it this way: “I do my best thinking in the shower. There are no distractions and I am fully present in the moment, if only during that small window of time during the day.
Somehow the water running down my back helps me clear the clutter from my head, and upon turning off the water, it seems as if I re-enter the world’s demands of the day. I have become so accustomed to the clutter, and the noise it creates, that when I clear the clutter, I feel as if I’m back in my shower. I can think clearer, breathe easier, and I smile for no reason at all.”
The Quiet Invites God’s Voice
In Dotty Schmitt’s book Stand on My Shoulders; Treasures from the Secret Places of His Heart, she writes, “It is as we cultivate a daily time of solitude and soaking in His loving Presence that the Holy Spirit opens to us the rich treasures of His heart. Outward silence is certainly easier to attain to than is a deep inner place of quiet and stillness. This place of inner quiet is a prerequisite to hearing the voice of God.” Dotty understands that hearing His voice comes with great inner awareness. She also points out that getting “outward” silence is also a key element; they both go hand-in-hand.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ” Mark 4:9
So where do you start when there’s no place to start?
Decluttering can be as daunting as going to war – in your home.
- Before going to battle it’s always best to put on your armor. My weapons of choice are prayer and praise music. Pray up and ask God where he wants you to begin. You might just be amazed that His perspective is not yours. Put on your favorite praise CD and fill the space with His presence. Suddenly you will realize an orderly space is a welcoming space to be in.
- Another weapon is a toilet or paper towel roll. When you enter a room and cannot see where to begin, it’s because everything is vying for your attention. You need to block out the entire space and concentrate on a small manageable area. Using the roll as a telescope type instrument, hold it up to your eye and look at just the space seen. Begin there.
- As the saying goes, you cannot eat an elephant in a day, but taking small areas at a time will ensure that you do not get stressed and frustrated. Keep the organizing or eliminating session to just 10-15 minute segments. That will help you get done just what is in the perimeters of the roll.
- Then leave the room. Attend to other pressing details of the day. If your schedule allows for multiple return sessions, that’s fantastic.
- Remember to continue to keep God part of the organizing conversation.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”. John 10:27
TODAY’S DEVOTION
Take this small step to help get rid of the clutter so you can start spending quality, quiet time with God.
- Start with a 10-15 minute declutter session.
- Motivate your time with praise music and soon your organizing muscles will get into shape. No longer will your space be screaming at you. For the peace of God will saturate all areas, creating a quiet space to hear God’s voice.
For more information about the bible study Organize His Way- A Christ –Centered Approach to Organizing Your Life, visit Eileen Koff Ministries
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