An Uncluttered Heart

Titus 2:3-5, "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

1 Timothy 5:14-15 "So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan."

For several weeks now I have been feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that need to get done around my home, and also things I would like to accomplish before Christmas. Before we left for a few days of vacation, I had gotten behind on keeping up with things. When we got back home, things have gotten worse. Part of the problem is that I haven't been home a lot. I am often in the car taking my sons to swim practice, doctor appointments, college classes, physical therapy appointments, etc. I feel like I am forever in the car, or soon needing to leave.

My piles have been seeming to multiply. I don't know if they are related to bunnies or not! But every time I turn around there seems to be another pile of paperwork that needs to be gone through.

Our house is mostly decorated for Christmas. We did get our Christmas tree over the weekend, and actually have it in the tree stand, but that is all the further we have gotten. So all the boxes that hold decorations, ornaments, balls, etc. are sitting in my living room waiting the time when we will actually all be home together so we can decorate it. Then there are the boxes in the basement that I figured I would get to after vacation, so I could decorate down there. That still hasn't happened either. Then there is the Christmas letter that needs to be written and eventually the Christmas cards..... The list goes on and on.

I find that the more cluttered the house gets the more I have trouble thinking straight and then just find myself spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. I seem to have highs and lows when it comes to keeping ahead of the clutter. Right now I'm in a low. Yesterday was my first day to be home most all of the day until late afternoon when I took my boys to swim practice. Home school was finished by mid morning so I had a few hours to just devote to de-cluttering. I actually managed to get two rooms in decent shape. I suddenly felt that some of the cobwebs were being cleared from my brain.

I still have a ways to go, but at least now I feel that there is some hope. As I thought about this last evening I was reminded of the things that we tend to have cluttering up our hearts - unconfessed sins perhaps. You know, the times when you haven't been completely honest to someone, or the time that you drove faster than the speed limit, ran a red light, spoke an unkind word to your spouse or children... The list can may be long. Each of these 'little' things can clutter our hearts and draw us away from the Lord.

Jesus came into this world so we have a way to God. Don't let these 'little' things stop you from enjoying His presence.

ACTIVITY
Take a spiritual broom to your heart and remove those cobwebs that are separating you from God.

PRAYER
Dear Lord, unclutter my heart from those things that separate me from You. Make me in Your image. Help me to have a heart that is pure and clean. Amen.