When God Starts Decluttering You

I was cleaning my office for what felt like the 50th time in one week recently, when I started thinking about how we’re approaching spring cleaning season, which excites me because I tend to have a preference for decluttering over cleaning, even though I know it takes more effort and time. Now, you may be reading this wondering "aren't those two things basically the same?" In my opinion, they have some overlap but they're not exactly the same. I consider cleaning to be more of a frequent maintenance type of task, and decluttering leans more towards intentionally reevaluating and restructuring, with, yes, some likely deep cleaning involved.

Let me not overcomplicate it though. The reality is, I can't stand the day to day repeated tasks like washing dishes, sweeping up crumbs because kids (IYKYK), doing laundry, etc. But if you tell me "let's go declutter your closet," or "let's go get rid of stuff in the garage," I'm all for it. Why? Because the feeling of knowing that I've removed what I'd consider to be the root of any mess that keeps cropping back up, and have therefore now made my life just a bit easier and simpler, is so gratifying to me. Instead of constantly having to fold or hang up the same mountain of clothes, for example, decluttering makes it so that the mountain is just a bit smaller, because I finally got rid of the clothes I didn't really like and were just taking up space anyway. What parents wouldn't love an easier laundry situation?

I've always questioned why I am like this, because I've been this way since childhood. My mom would constantly be on me about cleaning my room, and when I finally did, I wasn't just clearing trash and putting stuff away—nope, I would be knee-deep in a decluttering session, reorganizing drawers and getting rid of the excess that had accumulated. And just like with my physical environment, when I notice something within myself that is an unhealthy pattern or mindset, I don't like to just try to "maintain it" and keep those things at bay to deal with another day. Whether it's noticing a certain frustration, or that perhaps I've been getting offended a lot lately about a certain issue, once I'm aware of it I want to deal with it head on, because I hate the feeling of being stuck there and things resurfacing repeatedly.

It never fails though. As much as I love to do it, at some point in the decluttering process, I sit back and wonder "What in the world did I just get myself into?" If you've ever decluttered your home (or even your room), you can probably recall things looking much worse before they got better. The whole intention was to set your future self up for success and finally simplify so that you can focus on what's important, keep what's necessary, and remove anything that is slowing you down or hindering your daily progression in life. But now all of the extra stuff you didn't notice accumulating has been pulled out of hiding and it can feel overwhelming or even unclear where to start tackling it all.

If this happens in the external, physical environments, how much more internally? I believe that God has intentionally designed our physical lives to often mirror the emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of our lives. And all of those areas also require seasons of deep 'decluttering,' which God will often take us through, especially before we are to step into our ‘breakthrough’ or answered prayers. But we can get to a point where we start to wonder—or maybe even fully believe—that things are getting much worse. As much as I gravitate towards this side of the spectrum in life (the decluttering and introspection), I can admit that I have often felt like I was doing terribly in life with dealing with certain issues, only to have God show me in some way, shape, or form that I'm actually on the right track and He's proud of me.

It took me a while to learn and then remember that this is sometimes the nature of 'digging deep' and decluttering—things can seem to look so much worse before they look better. Sometimes you feel like you're taking 20 steps backwards, when spiritually, emotionally, and mentally God says you're actually moving forward by leaps and bounds. The key is in continuing to press forward even when things feel uncomfortable, because discomfort is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong (oftentimes, it's actually the opposite).

And if you keep thinking, "Well, what if I'm actually not making progress?" There's a simple way to get your answer: ask God. He'll always be honest with you. And oftentimes, you'll find that His response is much better than you think. People who aren't on the right track or who are on a path of destruction typically aren't worried or asking this kind of question because they don't care and aren't focused on growing and pleasing God.

We can get in our heads a lot as God takes us through seasons of growing and pruning, and the key is to let go of your own limited perspective and seek God consistently for His. Remain humble and near to Him, and remember that Jesus said "every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:2)—meaning that even though it may feel uncomfortable, that doesn't mean you're not making progress. Reading your word and praying daily is a great way to start finding out what His perspective actually is, and to find the reassurance that what feels counterproductive and backwards is actually all a part of the process He designed for you.

So if you find yourself in a season where you feel like God is digging deep within you to deal with some things, and it looks and feels very messy, I want to encourage you that you are likely exactly where God desires for you to be. Don't give up, don't turn back, walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As I've started to say to myself and now to you, "Onwards and Upwards," meaning we’re moving forward and continuing to pursue God and His kingdom. You and I will not forfeit God’s promises just because things don’t look quite right for a moment.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for the process that you are taking me through. Thank you that even when things don’t always seem or feel great, that You are doing a great work in me. I let go of any negativity and condemnation that I may have opened myself up to, as well as any doubts. I know that You are faithful Lord, that You have not abandoned me, and that Your promises are Yes and amen. I will continue to trust in You and move forward in what You have asked of me, knowing that You are faithful to complete what You’ve started in me. Give me strength and the endurance needed to see this season and this process through to the end. Help me to keep my eyes on You, to continue to have faith in You, even when there is the temptation to focus on only what I can see with my natural eyes and believe that things are not progressing. I love You Lord, have Your way in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.