The title of my teaching is “Clear the Clutter”. I think we all have an idea of what clutter is, but I want to share how the Oxford Dictionary defines clutter.
Clutter Definition
Repeat “untidy state, things that are not necessary”. Now that we all have a definition for clutter, I want to share a story to help you visualize what that might look like.
I have been an occupational therapist for nearly 30 years and most of that time, I have spent working directly in patients’ homes. I have been in over 5000 different homes. There were some homes that were perfectly pristine, with everything in its place, they even had the sweeper lines on the carpet in the living room.
Most of the homes, however, have some level of clutter, maybe it’s just a little bit of mail piled on the kitchen table or a laundry basket at the bottom of the steps. However, on a few occasions, the clutter I have seen has been much, much worse. As a therapist, when we evaluate someone, a common question we ask them is “have you had any falls”. I remember one gentleman who lived in a house that was extremely cluttered. When I asked him that question, he quickly responded, “no I have never fallen”. However, when I watched him walking the very narrow path from his living room to his kitchen he lost his balance several times. He leaned to the side, literally falling onto his stuff, but he never hit the floor, he pushed off of the piles of clutter and continued walking. I want you to visualize this house with so much stuff, so much clutter stacked to the ceiling that it is literally impossible for someone to fall to the floor. Can you see that image in your mind?
That is exactly how most of us are with the negative thoughts we keep in our minds. The world gives us a lot of junk to fill our minds with. And if we’re not intentional about clearing that clutter, we will collect every negative thought.
Thoughts like:
- Fear and anxiety
- Worry about things that “might” happen
- Thoughts of self-doubt. What others might think of us. We believe we aren’t allowed to make mistakes and that we must always be perfect.
- We carry guilt and shame of our past, we focus on our sins, things that we have done or maybe things that we haven’t done.
- We hold onto unforgiveness against those who have wronged us
And this is by no means an exhaustive list. But we let these negative thoughts pile up until we can’t even see the truth anymore. We get so buried under the clutter that we forget who we are and, more importantly, we forget whose we are.
What do we do, how do we clear that clutter?
For some of us, we try to push through on our own. As Pastor Tim reminds us, we read our Bibles. We may even set aside a daily quiet or devotional time for prayer, but we still don’t feel like we are hearing from God. Why is that? Remember prayer is meant to be a dialog, or a two-way conversation with God. It’s impossible to hear Him when we have so much clutter and noise in our heads.
I am going to walk through some scriptures that can help us overcome these thoughts, remove that clutter and make room for that conversation with God.
Fear – Worry – Anxiety picture
With everything going on in today’s world, thoughts that often clutter our minds are thoughts of worry or fear.
Worry is a heavy burden, a weight we carry on our shoulders every day. We worry about our jobs, our health, our families, our country, our future, our kid’s future. We worry about so many things! This isn’t a new problem. Two thousand years ago, Jesus saw the same anxiety on the faces of his disciples. And in Matthew 6, he told them, “Do not worry.”
Matthew 6:25a; 27
25a “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life … “
27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
“Don’t worry about your life”. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a command from the Son of God. But how is it possible? How can we simply stop worrying when our problems are so real?
Jesus gives us that answer. He doesn’t tell us to pretend our problems don’t exist. Instead, he invites us to look at the world around us.
Matthew 6:26
26 “Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
And 28-29
Matthew 6:28b-29
“See how the flowers of the field grow … Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”
Jesus is making a profound point. The birds and the flowers don’t worry about their next meal or their next set of clothes. They are simply living, trusting in the provision of God’s creation. If God takes such meticulous care of the natural world, how much more will He care for us? We are made in His image; we are His children, not just a part of the landscape.
When we worry, it is a lack of trust. It’s the belief that God either can’t or won’t handle our situation. It’s us trying to do God’s job. But Jesus asks us, can we really add anything to our lives by worrying? Of course NOT. Worry drains our energy, steals our joy, and blinds us to the blessings we have right now.
So, what is the alternative? Again, in Matthew 6, Jesus gives it to us in a simple, yet powerful command:
Matthew 6:33
33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
This is the key. Instead of focusing on our worries, we should focus on God, on His Kingdom, on His righteousness. When we make Him the top priority, when we seek His will and live according to His truth, everything else falls into its proper place. NO, of course this doesn’t mean our problems disappear. It means we have a different perspective. We can approach them with peace, not panic, because we know we are not alone.
Trusting God with our worries is an act of faith. It’s a daily decision to surrender your fears to the One who loves you the most!
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 is a profound reminder of God’s personal and abundant love for us. It assures us that God provides for our every need, protects us from all harm, restores our soul, and guides with a purpose, not just in times of peace and plenty, but especially through the darkest and most challenging times of our lives.
Perfectionism – Self-Doubt picture
Another area of thought that adds to the clutter in our minds is self-doubt. We are concerned with what others might think of us, we believe it is NOT ok for us to make mistakes and that we must always be perfect. In today’s world, this is so strongly influenced by social media.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In this verse, God is speaking directly to Paul, who had asked for a “thorn in the flesh” to be removed three times. The exact nature of this thorn is not known, but it was a persistent and painful issue. God’s answer is not to remove the problem but to reveal a deeper truth: that His grace is sufficient, and His power is fully revealed not when we are strong, but when we are at our weakest.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The word “perfect” here, translated from the original Greek word, means “to bring to completion” or “to finish.” God’s power is not just present in our weakness; it is completed or demonstrated most effectively THROUGH our weakness. When we are weak, our human abilities are exhausted, and we are forced to rely entirely on God. It is in this state that His power can work without any interference from our own strength or pride.
Paul’s reaction to God’s message is the complete opposite of what we usually think. Instead of being ashamed of his weaknesses, he boasts and delights in them. This is a profound act of faith. Paul understands that his weaknesses, the insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties he faces are not obstacles but are actually the very means through which Christ’s power can be seen working in him. It is not he who is doing it, but Christ who is doing it through him. Paul acknowledges that the “thorn” in his side kept him from being proud, kept him from thinking he was able to do all of these things through his own power.
Another scripture I am sure you have all heard, Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:13
13 For I can do all this through Christ, who gives me strength.
This is a very popular scripture, but it’s often taken out of context. It’s not a magical promise that we can accomplish any personal goal we set our minds to. When we look at the preceding verses (Philippians 4:11-12), Paul says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.” Paul is talking about enduring and being content in the face of extreme circumstances — poverty, hardship, and imprisonment. His statement, “I can do all this,” refers to his ability to endure these trials, not through his own abilities, but through Christ’s continuous strengthening. It’s a testament to God’s power to sustain us, especially when we are at our physical or emotional limits.
In these scriptures God is encouraging us to acknowledge our weaknesses and learn to rely on Him. Personally, in this area, I am growing, but at times, I still find myself believing that I have to do everything on my own. I get in my head. I worry about being embarrassed or about what others might think if I don’t know something.
If I am being honest, when Pastor Tim first asked me to do a teaching, in my head I said, “No Way”. Don’t get me wrong…you are all very nice, but the thought of getting up in front of the church was terrifying! Even after I agreed to do it, I was still thinking, I am not a Biblical Scholar, what can I teach about. I was worried about what everyone might think. As I prepared for this teaching, I was reminded of what it says in Galatians 1:10.
Galatians 1:10
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
We have to remember to be eternity minded. That we are here to please God first. I have to remind myself that we are here to love God, love people and to make disciples. We make disciples by talking about and teaching other His Good News.
Sin – Guilt – Shame picture
How about sin, that is a big one. Most of us hold on to our sins. We pile them up and clutter our minds. Often, we bury ourselves under the weight of our sin. We remember the things that we didn’t do that we know we should have. We remember every little thing that we have done wrong. But why do we hold onto our sins and these negative thoughts?
Maybe it is guilt, or it is how you were raised – maybe you were reminded over and over again of everything you did wrong. Maybe you don’t think you are worthy. You put so much pressure on yourself that YOU are the one reminding yourself over and over again of the things you have done wrong. Our mind has a way of embellishing those thoughts and making us remember them much worse than they really were. Maybe, we are too ashamed to even ask for forgiveness. We let our sins, that guilt and shame and those negative thoughts define who we are. Perhaps we think that the sins that we have committed are so bad, that God could never forgive us. All of that is EXACTLY what the enemy wants us to believe.
THAT IS NOT OUR GOD! That is why Jesus left his heavenly place and came to earth as man.
Luke 19:10
10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
No one is ever too lost or too far gone for Jesus. As we are reminded in Luke 19, the more lost we are…the more Jesus is seeking us. He came to save each of us. He never stops pursuing us.
Through his love and God’s mercy, not only are our sins forgiven, but God completely FORGETS they ever existed!
{Reader, please read both of these scriptures}
Psalm 103:11-12
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Isaiah 43:25
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
There is complete and total forgiveness, our sins are remembered no more!
{WHEN I SNAP, PLEASE BLACK OUT LIGHTS FOR A FEW SECONDS}
SNAP
As quickly as this room turned dark, when we repent of our sins, that is how quickly God forgives and FORGETS about them. Let that sink in for a minute!
I vividly remember the first time I heard that. We had only been coming to the Christian Center for a short time, we were sitting on this side, about in the middle. I may had heard it before, but it wasn’t until Pastor Tim excitedly encouraged us that God doesn’t just forgive our sins, but that they are forgotten, annihilated, vaporized, completely gone! If God can do that, who am I to hold onto them and why would I keep thinking about them? I must let go of that old life.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
“All of this is a gift from God.” Let go of the sins of your past, accept God’s grace and mercy. God has wiped you clean, made you a new creation. I promise you, the decision to repent and change your ways, to forgive yourself and to join God in forgetting your sins will be one of the most liberating decisions you will make in your life.
But as we realize and accept God’s mercy and the forgiveness of our sins, we must also learn to forgive those who have sinned against us.
Colossians 3:13
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
The NIV version says, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you”. Not too long ago Pastor Tim and again when Charlie Sweet was here, they both encouraged us that it is essential that we forgive those who have wronged us. We don’t have to be friends or go back to a bad relationship, but it is foundational to our faith that we don’t hold a grudge against anyone. That we love our enemies.
Philippians 3:12-13
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
An important step in clearing the clutter in our minds is “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”. We can’t just empty the clutter; we have to fill it with something good.
A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Matt used the analogy of chopping down the old tall trees of self-doubt, fear and anxiety and replacing them with the positive thoughts of what God says about us and what we can do through Him. Our minds are like gardens… something is going to grow there. If we don’t plant seeds of God’s truth, all of those negative thoughts will come back.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
Think on what is true: The truth is that you are a child of God, redeemed and loved. The truth is that your sins are forgiven AND forgotten.
Think on what is noble and right: Focus on the character of God.
Think on what is pure and lovely: Look for the beautiful, good things God is doing in your life and the world around you. Practice gratitude.
Think on what is admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy: Focus on the stories of faith, the victories, the testimonies of God’s goodness. That is why fellowship is so important. There are amazing things, miracles happening around us every day!
My prayer is that today you are reminded of a few verses or maybe you heard them differently or perhaps for the first time, and they offer some practical things you can do to help you clear out the clutter. These ideas may be simple, but they are NOT easy.
{Worship Team, please come up}
{Please stand}
What is God calling you to let go of? What clutter do you need to get out of your head.
Is it worry or fear?
Is it self-doubt?
Thinking that you will never measure up?
Is it sin or shame?
Or maybe it is unforgiveness.
Whatever it is, God wants to free you from it so that you can deepen your relationship with Him.