You have a space that you’ve intended to clean… it’s been on your to-do list for a while now. Maybe you’re waiting for spring?
For me, it's my spice cabinet. It’s where I keep spices, oils, sauces, and flavors. But, unfortunately, it's cluttered and difficult to find what you’re looking for.
Recently, my husband Jared mentioned that I need to clean out the cabinet. I agreed with him and had purposed in my heart to do so, but if I’m honest, I procrastinated because I didn’t know where to begin.
The other night, Jared opened the cabinet, and as he reached for a spice, a glass of vanilla fell from the second shelf, landed on my new phone screen, and shattered it. I finally saw the need to clear out the clutter.
After my phone had broken, I sat down and looked at the damage the clutter had caused and made it a priority to MAKE SPACE.
Our hearts are a sacred space that we are responsible for tending to. Scripture states, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV). Another translation states, “Above all else, guard your heart…” (NIV).
What are the things we find important?
It differs for everyone. For many, it’s faith, family, friends, career goals, good financial status, etc. For many, it is enjoying life, being a good person, having a good reputation, and feeling good about how we live.
All of these things are great! I would even say these are all very positive things. So we aren’t bad for investing some time into these things.
However, scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart…”
WAIT. That means that you must pay attention to what is in your heart, not just what you do... It means ABOVE ALL ELSE, make sure your heart is guarded.
The passage of scriptures goes on to state that we shouldn’t gossip or speak of corrupt things, we should fix our eyes on what’s ahead, give careful thought to what we do, keep from evil, and BE steadfast in all our ways.
What if started paying more attention to what is in our hearts? What if we made sure our hearts are pure?
Based on what I am learning in scripture, a guarded heart looks like this: loving, selfless, kind, generous, caring, gracious, compassionate, noble, good, faithful. A heart devoted to God’s Truth and His Presence. What if THIS is our highest priority?
If all we do flows from our hearts then our actions and our words truly show what’s in us… the schedules we keep and the lives we lead are a mirror of what our hearts value.
If we want to know the “pulse” of our hearts, we can listen to what we talk about: do we gossip? Do we try to make others look bad? Do we complain? Do we hold grudges? Do we envy? These things can clutter up our hearts so much that we cannot find what matters most.
If we want to know the status of our hearts, we can look at our actions: are we kind to people? Are we forgiving? Do we give generously? Do we serve faithfully? Do we live a life devoted to PRAYER and God’s WORD? Do we care for others EVEN IF they don’t deserve it?
Here is the truth straight from scripture: “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7 NKJV)
There is no shortage of things to fill up your heart. No shortage of distractions from what matters most. There is no deficit of things to take the eyes of your heart off of Jesus.
The Lord longs to fill us with more of him. Based on His word, he wants to work IN us and THROUGH us, but there has to be SPACE for Him. No one can clean out the cabinet of your heart but YOU.
Today, I encourage you…
Ask God to show you how to clear out any clutter in your heart. Take time and LISTEN to what He speaks to you.
What needs to be laid down on the altar to make space for more of His Presence? Maybe it means less social media, a more-focused prayer time, and more time in His Word. Perhaps it means forgiveness and laying down fear.
As you clear out the clutter, you will find that there is MORE SPACE for Jesus… and where He is, everything changes.