This year went by in a whisper, and with another new year approaching, we need to take a little inventory. We need to access what worked for us in the past year and what didn’t, so we can make some changes. Resolutions are the go-to in order to get this done and start everything off with a bang, but they’ve become so cliché that many of us don’t take them all that serious anymore. We make pledges and commitments that we get excited about in the beginning, but this excitement wanes. One of the reasons for this is that we don’t take the necessary steps to prepare for the changes we want to see. When change in our lives is desired, it is going to cost us something. People don’t like hearing this because we all like our stuff and we want to hang on to it as long as possible. But whether our goal is to find a new job, draw ourselves closer to the man we’re going to marry, or make any other positive change, decluttering emotionally is going to be required.
The first step in believing to receive any blessing is to find out whether this blessing is available. I can believe to grow another brain all day long, but this isn’t going to happen because God created human beings with one brain and that’s all we’ll get. It is not available to receive another brain; therefore, it would not make sense for me to believe for this. So, when we’re preparing ourselves to expand and be better, we first must believe to receive something that is available from God according to His Word.
After we’re clear on what is available to receive, we then must put ourselves on notice that change is about to take place. James 2:26 tells us that faith without works is dead. This lets us know that our faith has to connect with something before the target of our prayers will manifest. We must back our faith with good works, and good works require us to expend energy.
Our minds have processed and cataloged memories of both our successes and our failures. The mind keeps track of the times in the past when we’ve made commitments to ourselves that we didn’t keep. Every time we make a resolution or set a goal, the mind asks, “Okay, is she going to do something different this time, or is this just more of the same? If so, I can file this one in the “Still not ready” folder.” It’s like that old saying that you can’t expect different results by doing the same things; this is the definition of insanity. Well, if we make a confession of what we expect to change or receive without doing something different by backing it up with good works, at the deepest level, we won’t even believe our own confession. We have to be prepared to back our faith in a way that signals heaven and everything beneath it that something different is about to be birthed.
We think of decluttering when it comes to clothes and shoes in our closets that we haven’t worn for years. We’ve allowed these items to pile up and because of this, we don’t have enough room to store new additions to our wardrobe. Personally, I was looking for a box of Christmas decorations the other day and found a storage bin with never-worn shoes still in the box. I purchased them four years ago and had forgotten all about them. Most of us are guilty of having more than we need, but when it comes to emotional heavies that keep our faith from building momentum, we need to declutter.
Spiritually, we must release the old to make room for the new. Sometimes it’s those old attitudes and behaviors that hold us back. There could be things that we are doing, thinking, and feeling that seem very natural to us, but they keep us stuck in habit patterns that impede Godliness. This isn’t about being perfect, because none of us are, and all of us who have a relationship with God through Christ are being perfected each day. It is important to declutter emotionally because some of the emotions and feelings we carry are causing us to walk down a path that is contrary to our purpose.
2Timothy 1:9(NIV) tells us, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” Romans 8:28 affirms that God causes all things to work together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and Jesus Christ has commanded us in Matthew 6:33 that we must seek God’s plan and purpose before we seek any other thing. This is the preparation that sets in motion the faith that is needed to anchor newness.
God is in the blessing business, and His blessings continually flow, but we must know all good things are hinged on our willingness to do what pleases Him. Things will work together for our good when we line ourselves up with what God has purposed us to do. When it comes to assessing what and where we need to declutter, most of already know. We know the thoughts and emotions that cause a toxic environment that works against our faith. Let’s declutter! Before we resolve to do any other thing in the new year, let’s take care of the spiritual housecleaning first.
God will help us through Christ and guide us through His Spirit to do all the other things we want to do. He’ll help us get a new job, lose weight, or cross paths with Mr. Right. He’ll help us break any stronghold that trips us up or makes us unhappy, but His first order of business is to help us get firmly planted on the path of His purpose. Let’s prepare for an awesome New Year by setting our sights on decluttering emotionally, so we can get rid of the stuff that holds us back and blocks our faith. Doing this shows that we are unwaveringly committed to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and we are equally ready to embrace the new blessings we desire in our lives.■
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Decluttering Emotionally” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.