1. TIME TO DECLUTTER

NEW SERIES: CREATE SPACE FOR FRUITFULNESS

My window looks out on the February landscape, clean and spare in its simplicity, before the hedges blossom, the verges burgeon, and the hard lines soften with advancing spring. It seems that nature, and the farming community, have done their spring-cleaning, and the land, washed clean by recent rain, is decluttered—ready for fruitfulness later in the year.

Rather aptly, the liturgical church celebrates the start of Lent next week, the period of preparation before Easter, traditionally a time of self-examination and fasting. Perhaps we can follow suit to do some evaluation, and take steps to spring clean and declutter our personal lives—so that we too will be ready to bear fruit? Perhaps we can clear away some of the stuff which clouds our vision and clogs up our lives?

Maybe we can be counter-cultural, make life more simple, and relieve some of the stress of 21st century living. By that I mean pared down and profound, rather than one-dimensional and simplistic. According to the dictionary, the primary meaning of ‘simple’ refers to things which have just one element or focus, rather than something with complex, multi-faceted operations. Not exactly a description of modern life with its many demands and constant juggling!
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Media and peer pressure demand that we conform to the latest profile of the successful person, inevitably resulting in us acquiring more possessions, (and more debt), and piling more activities into our over-stuffed schedules. Let’s take time to recalibrate.

TIME TO DECLUTTER

Despite Jesus’ insistence that the substance of a man’s life is not seen in the abundance of his belongings [Luke 12:15], our society’s view has always been exactly the opposite. A person’s value is frequently measured by his property; the success of his life by the amount and quality of his possessions—even in some Christian circles!

​And this so often becomes a snare: our need to be valued and accepted drives many to work long hours, and comply with unreasonable demands in the workplace, in order to acquire the latest status symbol—the one the media declares will mark us out as people who have ‘arrived’. But frequently that image of success is a mere illusion, for so many people from all walks of life, do not actually own their ‘stuff’, but are living on borrowed funds.

The trouble with ‘stuff’ is that many of us have too much of it: more clothes than we can possibly wear; gadgets which gather dust at the back of cupboards; garages far too full to ever hold a car; the latest gismo which barely makes it out of the box. And then with ownership also comes responsibility. The more we own, the more we have to maintain, and the more we worry about it all. Possession whether we like it or not, brings stress.

I am not a minimalist (but if you are, that’s ok too). Stark walls and bare surfaces do not do it for me. I like having things around me which tell the story of our lives and our relationships; and I like the resources available to feed sudden bursts of creativity. But this is not the same as clutter, which the Oxford dictionary describes as ‘crowded confusion’, or a ‘confused mass’. Clutter threatens our peace, disturbs our inner tranquillity and contributes to feelings of stress. Rest needs some ordered paths to flow in.

Perhaps it’s a good time to review our stuff and what it is costing us in terms of time, anxiety and stress? What can we prune, and actually improve our quality of life? (The answer to this will be different for each individual or household—there are no rules… or brownie points—just hopefully more rest!) And it’s worth taking time, while we are revaluating, to find ‘homes’ for the items we keep, so that our living spaces are clutter-free.

​A few questions to consider if you have decided it’s time to declutter:

• What does this article cost in terms of hours worked, maintenance, stress and anxiety?
• Does it enhance my life practically or aesthetically?
• Would I miss it if it wasn’t here?
• Did I have to go into debt to acquire it, or maintain it?
• Can I find homes for things I want to keep, to reduce the observable clutter in my living space?

I like the words of the old hymn:

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
[JG Whittier]
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​Let’s consider making a start on ‘creating a space for fruitfulness’ by physically decluttering and getting rid of excess paraphernalia. Then we will be ready for the next phase…

​THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM

​Perhaps you could declutter one room, or area, a week?
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Make it part of your worship. Take time to get very still inside, then focus on the Lord.​ Take time to handle, and give Him praise, for the many blessings represented in the room. Ask Him to guide your thoughts and direct you to any excess He wants you to shed.

(This is between you, your family or housemates and Jesus –and shouldn’t be influenced by the strong opinions or rules of anyone else—especially media ‘gurus’!)
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Maybe you could bless others with your surplus?

NEXT WEEK: DECLUTTER YOUR SCHEDULE
We live in a world where our effectiveness as human beings is measured by the busyness of our schedule...

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​[Photo credits: Brett Jordan (boxes); Art Lasovsky (pen) Unsplash, with thanks]