Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s faced my life and felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff that needs attention. Right now, for me, it’s schedules, navigating a recent rejection, teenaged boys who need very different things, an on-going family situation, along with my tendency to hold up my “failings” next to someone else’s shining success and feel like I lack in every area. How do we go about decluttering our hearts?
In my first post in this “Stuff” series, I described how I created white space in my project room. That work wasn’t done in a week or two. I spent weeks, poring over each item in that room. I had a plan. I started at one corner in my room and spent a set amount of time each day working my way around. I didn’t jump from one spot to the next in a work session, or even from one day to the next. I was intentional in how I tackled the out-of-control stuff in that room.
As we partner with God in decluttering our hearts, the work won’t be completed in a week or two. We must take the necessary time to evaluate the items on our heart’s shelves, to examine our motivations behind those items, and to ask Jesus to help us see them through His eyes.
5 Steps for Dealing with the “Heart-Stuff”:
~Evaluate the Why’s behind what we’ve allowed to occupy our hearts. Let’s use an example: Bitterness usually results from unforgiveness. Ask, “Why haven’t we forgiven the person? What does holding onto the unforgiveness offer?” Let’s be honest. Sometimes, we hold onto unforgiveness because we think it gives us power over that other person. In the end, bitterness impacts every aspect of who we are while not changing the other person.
~Consider our motivations for allowing attitudes and beliefs to take up space in our hearts. I’ve struggled with comparison most of my life, the result of the continual bullying I endured as a girl. This sense of feeling like I was “less-than,” defined me for decades. I allowed that belief to give me an “out” for activities and growth. God has taken me on a long journey to re-define my value in His eyes.
When we know our Why, we’re better equipped to deal with our heart-stuff. Understanding our motivations for holding onto things helps us to make wise decisions on how to manage our stuff.
~Pray and ask God to remove these things and to change you. It all takes time. When we’re intentional about noticing when heart-attitudes and/or thoughts pop up, we can bring them before Jesus. We may also discover possible triggers and talk them over with the Lord.
~Fill your mind with God’s truth by reading His word daily and asking Him to talk with you through His word.
~Journal! Make an effort to talk with the Lord through writing things down. Slowing down to actually write (yes with pen and paper) enables our thoughts to process and allows God to reveal things we may miss if we hurry through this process.
4 Mindset Shifts for Decluttering our Hearts:
At times the work feels too hard. The thought that it’s easier to live in the place where we are rather than doing the hard, painful work God wants to do will be tempting. Ask God to give you strength to persevere.
Sometimes we may think we’ve got it figured out, only to find another thought process or life pattern that reveals more purging work needs to be done. This is actually good because it gives us the opportunity to come before the Lord and ask for His help. Again.
Give ourselves grace. We’ll face times, even seasons, where we slip into old thought-and-heart patterns. God’s grace is always available. We just need to lean into it and trust Him.
Ask God to show us the one area He most wants to work on right now. Trying to fix everything at once would be like me attempting to work on my closet and my bookshelves simultaneously in my project room. We can only focus on one thing at a time. When He’s done the work with that one area, you’ll see positive changes.
Remember, most of all, God wants intimacy with us. When we invite Him in to help with decluttering our hearts—He etches healing over the lies. He opens our hearts for His freedom, joy, and peace.
What about you? What has helped you deal with some of your heart issues? What’s a step or mindset you can add to my lists?
Click to Tweet: We must take the necessary time to evaluate the items on our heart’s shelves, to examine our motivations behind those items
I’m linking up with #TellHisStory, #Instaencouragements, Grace and Truth, and #RaRaLinkup
You’re not the only one who has heart clutter! Your illustration of purging is helpful, thanks Jeanne! I most appreciate your point about asking God for help persevering because you’re right, it’s often tempting to “live with it” instead of doing the hard but worthwhile work. Thanks for your encouragement!
Amen to this. Let’s leave the past in the past and focus on today and what God is using us to do!
So much good stuff here, Jeanne, but I especially love the suggestion to ask God what area He wants us to work on right now. Your steps and mindsets are so full of grace … it puts what can seem so daunting into perspective when we remember that God is lovingly directing any changes that we need or want to make. Hugs, friend … you and yours remain in my prayers.
You did such a beautiful job of showing us how to declutter our hearts. I love how you pointed us back to God and His truth. He is the Keeper of our hearts and He knows when we are feeling overwhelmed. Your photos in this post are gorgeous.
You are not the only one. Life can feel so overwhelming at times. You provide some great ideas to help us conquer those feelings. Thanks
Agreed, Yvonne. Life DOES feel overwhelming at times. I hope these thoughts are helpful. 🙂
Jeanne,
First, I have to say that I love your blog look and the photographs you take are just beautiful!! Have you ever thought about doing a pictoral book with scripture, or a quote, or inspirational thought with each photograph? You really are talented at photography and you could pair your writing with it…as for decluttering. I am the queen of clutter. I find it so hard to shift my mindset and to really grasp more healthy ways of thinking and living. Old habits are like an old slipper – not vey attractive but oh so easy to slip back into. I’ve gotten a lot better at declutterin my life and my heart. I’ve found that I’ve had to set boundaries because I’m very good at letting others barge in and usurp my time and my emotions. As I’ve gotten to know myself better, I know I need to guard my heart more earnestly.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thanks so much for your kind words, Bev! And for the idea of creating a photo book. I did create one for my email subscribers, but maybe it’s time to pray about and create another one. I think you and I may be similar in that it’s easy to get caught up in certain unhealthy thought loops. That could be a blog post in itself. Setting boundaries is essential for working through heart issues and opening a door for God to help us create better thought-patterns and life-patterns. And yes and amen to guarding our hearts! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and experience here, my friend.
I pray God keeps calming the difficult in your heart, Jeanne! I have a special needs son who moved recently into a multi-residence and the transition has been challenging! Sometimes it can be hard to not let the difficult overwhelm. I’m working on that too! I’m reading a book called “You Are Not Your Brain” that is helping me to understand my reactions that are not my true self, as God made me. Learning about how God physically wired us also helps me to declutter my mind and heart from what is not truth.
Thanks for those prayers, Lynn! You’re right. It can be difficult to not be overwhelmed by the difficult in our lives. That book sounds like a good one. Thanks for mentioning it! It sounds like you’re learning some timeless truths! Thank you, as always, for sharing your wisdom here.
Great post, Jeanne! Hubby and I are going through an uncluttering time in our lives right now, perhaps in preparation for downsizing. Decluttering our hearts is even more important. We do allow harmful and needless “stuff” to accumulate there, don’t we? I love your advice to seek the “why” we hang on to things we would be better off getting rid of. There must be some motivation.
Laurie, it’s nice when we can de-clutter in-sync with our hubbies. God has asked me that “Why?” question many times, especially in the past recent years as He’s done some healing in my heart. Decluttering with Him requires us to face those sometimes-hard truths about why we hold onto things. Then, He can help us to deal with them.
Firstly, “navigating a recent rejection” – hugs Jeanne. Secondly, thank you for the reminder that “as we partner with God in decluttering our hearts, the work won’t be completed in a week or two” and to “give myself grace”. I can relate to your analogy as I’m currently decluttering my house and I’m not rushing it, I’m doing it one corner at a time. Great post x
Yay for decluttering your home, Wemi! Mine is in desperate need. Sigh. Yes, we definitely need to give ourselves grace as we declutter our homes and our hearts. When we take the time to deal with each item and don’t rush through, God’s able to work more effectively in us, isn’t He?
Lots of great advice here for all of us. I definitely need a clean sweep of my heart often, and even more so in 2020 when so many things are weighing me down.
Lisa, I so agree with you. 2020 has definitely given us many opportunities to evaluate what’s in our hearts and let God help us sweep it clean. Thank you so much for visiting!
“At times the work feels too hard. The thought that it’s easier to live in the place where we are rather than doing the hard, painful work God wants to do will be tempting. Ask God to give you strength to persevere.”
Oh, my goodness this is what i have been doing – living in the place where i am rather than doing the hard work. This is an excellent post. Packed with wisdom. I am going to have to save this one and work on one part at a time.
Your pictures are gorgeous too.
I would love to invite you to share this post on Embracing the Unexpected on our link-up. I know our readers would love to read this.
Maree
Mareedee, I may have been writing from a bit of experience when I wrote that. :). Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be completely done with this process until I breathe my first breath in heaven. Thanks so much for your encouraging words and for your visit. And for the invitation to link this post on your link-up. I took you up on it. 🙂
I have been feeling this pressure of all the “stuff” too! It’s amazing how much it can consume my mind. Praying for a renewing of my mind today. thank you for the encoruagement.
Rebecca, it is rather amazing how much stuff gathers in our hearts. Praying for God to renew our minds is huge, isn’t it? Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jeanne, I like this idea of creating space in our hearts by decluttering. With God as our partner and taking the necessary time to evaluate all the “stuff”, this isn’t an overnight makeover. Or even a week-long fixer-upper. But a process with intention and focus. Staying in God’s Word and giving myself grace resonate with me the most.
Karen, decluttering our hearts can be a weeks-, months-, and years-long endeavor, can’t it? I’m finding when I bring each item in my heart before the Father, He has me think about why I’ve held onto it. There have been many times when He has had me journal and process through the Why’s. This makes it easier to let go of thought patterns, emotions, and wrong-beliefs. And yes, staying in God’s word and giving ourselves grace is essential, isn’t it?
The pain ran on throughout the night,
when morning came, was worse;
the future really don’t look bright,
and I feel called to curse
the God that let this happen now,
when there’s so much to live;
I really truly don’t know how
my heart can quite forgive
the Lord who made the wide blue seas,
the God who lofted skies
and brought forth life, I guess, with ease;
were all His oaths just lies?
But here I see He cries for me,
and I remember Calvary.
Oh, the junk we accumulate in our tender hearts. I want to practice mindfulness about this, because I see the potential for generational harm if I slog yesterday’s junk into my dealings with people today.
Michele, I love where you took this. When we don’t deal with the stuff in our hearts, it’s going to spill into our interactions with those we love most. Such an important reminder!
Andrew, I so appreciate your honesty. It can be hard to see God and remember His faithfulness when the pain is unending. Sometimes, it’s hard to look beyond the now and believe that God really does love us. I love where you landed though . . . knowing that He weeps when we weep and that yes, He really does love us. All we have to do is look to Calvary.
I’m praying for you, my friend.