Welcome back to Day Two in our Clutter-Free Challenge. I’m so glad you are here.
Today we are going to start in the command center of our de-cluttering journey – our minds.
It’s not usually a lack of energy
that holds us back. It’s not too-small cabinets. It’s not a lack of a
garage that keeps us from being able to make decisions about what to do
with our stuff. It’s our minds, our thoughts, our mental processing.
Let me give you examples of what I mean.
*I’ve looked at a to-do list that is waaaaaay too long, felt
overwhelmed and made a decision to turn on the TV. What a
self-defeating decision.
*I’ve looked at an overflowing closet and thought “Maybe those
too-small shoes won’t hurt me next time I wear them.” Not logical.
They will.
*I’ve held on to a gift I will never use, in order
to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. That seems like a nice thing to
do, but I’m being controlled by my assumptions and fear of rejection.
In each of those
decisions (and so many more), my thoughts directed me to something not
in my best interest. And in each instance, I never once asked God what
He would want me to do.
As Christians we have a hotline to God’s wisdom (James 1:5). Plus,
we have the Holy Spirit living in us who is our counselor (John 14:26),
and the Bible tells us we have “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).
That’s a powerhouse of help! But we don’t tap into this source of help
. Or maybe we do, but if the truth be told, we don’t really expect God to answer us. Others, those super-spiritual types, may hear from God. But not me, we think.
And so we struggle with problem-solving. We are frustrated at our
circumstances, confused about what to do, discouraged and defeated.
It’s a downward cycle.
For years, I never even thought to ask God for help making little
decisions. Maybe I’d bring Him in on the big decisions, but the little
ones I figured I could handle myself. Oh, how I missed out on so much
clarity and focus.
On day two of the Clutter-Free Challenge, I invite you to make your
first step in any de-cluttering project to ask God to clear your mind
and direct your decision-making. Then trust He is doing just that.
Once you ask God to speak to you – then expect it to happen. This
expectation is crucial to hearing from God. Here what James 1:5-8 says:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to
all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you
ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.That person should not
expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded
and unstable in all they do.”
If you do start to doubt, then take that thought captive and choose
to trust that God has spoken. Listening and trusting is an important
part of prayer. Prayer is not always to get God to move. Many times,
prayer positions us to hear God’s direction on how we should move. Through prayer, we align our hearts to God’s heart, and things become clearer.
Is the clutter in your mind making it hard to think clearly? Perhaps
one of the problems is you’re trying to figure things out on your own.
You have been given the mind of Christ and you are offered the wisdom
of God. Ask and receive. Here’s a summary:
When I’m overwhelmed:
*I position myself in a place to receive, and ask for God’s help.
*I quiet myself in order to hear God’s voice.
*I expect God to answer and direct me.
*I trust that my thoughts are from Him, and I don’t doubt.
Tomorrow, I’ll share another tip on de-cluttering your thoughts, and
give you some insight into why it’s so hard to focus. Until then …
Grace & Peace
Lord, You know how hard it is for me to focus sometimes. It’s
hard to figure out what needs to be done. I just feel overwhelmed and
discouraged. I know You aren’t a God of confusion, so I ask for Your
wisdom and clarity to help bring order to my chaotic mind. In Jesus
name, Amen.
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