Clutter 101

Everywhere I turn these days, conversations with friends, family, and clients seems to turn to the subject of clutter. I don't hear much delight, joy, or pride over vast heaps of accumulation. I do hear disappointment, frustration, desperation, disgust - emotions that lead to a paralyzing state of being overwhelmed, immobilized, and powerless.

What's going on? Why have we accumulated so much junk? And, the bigger question - why don't we simply get rid of it and simplify our lives?

A jam-packed home/car/workspace often reflects the clutter that's built up over time in our minds - and hearts. Our culture has led us to believe that our possessions define us, giving us value and significance. We fail to realize that the only One who can define us and give us value and significance is Christ.

We think that if we hang on to things, we can somehow hang on to the past, to memories, or to people that are no longer with us. Instead, we become prisoners, and unhappy ones at that. Our possessions simply end up owning us. He who dies with the most toys does not win. He ends up the loser, because in the final analysis, the relationships in our lives suffer the consequences of our obsession with material goods.

I've yet to see a hearse pulling a U-haul trailer. We can't take our accumulations with us.

Which leads to maybe the biggest question of all - what's the spiritual component of our obsessiveness over things - and our stubborn unwillingness to part from them? "What would Jesus do?" Check out Matthew 6:19-21, 24. Sounds like a journaling opportunity to me ...

Evaluating & Motivating ~
Linda