Does God Care about My Clutter?

I think there is always a spiritual component to everything, even clutter. Have you ever known people who are on a constant search for more things, more vacations, more activities–things that they think make life worth living? The Bible doesn’t say to live with nothing, but it’s clear when people are trying to fill the hole in their hearts that only Jesus can fill. They think that life is about the next thing they are going to acquire or do, instead of how fulfilled they could be in a relationship with God. 

It brings to mind the encounter that Jesus had with a “rich, young ruler”--likely a leader in a local synagogue or someone with authority in the Jewish culture.

"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'”

'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy" (Luke 18-18-23).

Jesus knew this man’s heart. When given a chance to follow Jesus to inherit eternal life, he valued his things more than his own soul. How he surely came to regret that at the end of his time on earth.

Perhaps we struggle with a “scarcity mindset,” believing that something will happen and we won’t have enough. It may drive us into the temptation to buy things we don’t need, and even hoard some of those things. We saw that at stores when the COVID pandemic shutdowns began; there was a rush on stores and people were buying as much as they could, afraid that they would run out of something they needed (like toilet paper). There is nothing that screams “God won’t provide” like panic at the store. But God instructed the Philippians (and us) that “... my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

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Matthew’s gospel records one of Jesus’ exhortations from the Sermon on the Mount that could easily apply to having clutter. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This is very obviously warning people not to get caught up in buying and gathering “stuff” because it changes our hearts toward the things of heaven. 

When Jesus was speaking of treasures in heaven, He was speaking of those things that have eternal value–most importantly salvation that comes from a faith relationship with Jesus.  Matthew Henry’s Commentary speaks of the joy of treasures in heaven: “It is our wisdom to give all diligence to make our title to eternal life sure through Jesus Christ, and to look on all things here below as not worthy to be compared with it, and to be content with nothing short of it.” The psalmist agreed with the utmost value of knowing and loving God above everything else: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:25-26).

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To grow spiritually means to grow closer to God, knowing Him by His word and by His creation. Decluttering can help us do that in several ways.

1. We will have more time for spiritual disciplines if we do not always have to clean or move around our piles of stuff.

2. If we commit to staying decluttered, we can take what we would have spent on things and save or donate to those in need (which is what Jesus told us to do). If we have clutter because we don’t put things in their rightful place, then we need to commit to doing that once all the excess is gone.

3. Our minds will be clearer to focus on “storing up treasures in heaven.” Studies have shown that it is harder to concentrate when we have too much clutter.

4. If we make decluttering a gift to the Lord, it should help give us reason to continue to live a less cluttered lifestyle.

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We’ve seen that Jesus calls us to be more concerned about our life with Him than with the accumulation of things. We’ve learned that God will supply what we need. We know that having more stuff can be our attempt to create peace in our hearts that only Jesus can bring. So we have a great set of arguments against gathering clutter. Now what do we do?

For practical ways to declutter with a biblical mindset, Candace Lucey’s article “What Does the Bible Say About Materialism?” is a great place to start.

Then we can take practical steps like:

1. Ask God to show us what is in our hearts–are we more materialistic than is healthy for a child of God?

2. Make a list of things we want to get rid of. If we have large items, we should get rid of them as quickly as someone can pick them up, because that will be a huge step toward an uncluttered space.

3. For other items, we can give ourselves a realistic timeframe, and cut the decluttering into pieces so that we don’t get overwhelmed and give up.

4. Separate into “throw away” and “give away,” and don’t leave bags of these items sitting because that will mean just as much clutter.

5. Set ourselves up for success by practicing putting things where they belong right away. For example, don’t leave piles of clothes in a laundry basket–get them washed, dried, and put away. Anything you bring home that is needed should have a place to house it (a cabinet or closet). Also we can commit to asking ourselves the following when considering a non-essential purchase: is what I am thinking about buying truly a necessity? For instance, do I need that new car because my car needs work? Maybe the cost of the work amortized over the extended life of the car would be much less spent than a new car.

6. Don’t believe that “free” things are not considered clutter. Things handed down from a relative do not need to be kept if you do not want them. So often, we feel guilty giving away a “family heirloom.” We can still honor our mother and father even if we turn down their “hand-me-downs.” If we don’t plan to use it and no one else in the family wants it, then sell it or give it to someone in need.

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When it comes to being content and living simply, we have the best example in Jesus. He lived a nomadic life with “no place to lay his head”, and at various times encouraged his disciples to live very simply as well. When He sent them out to preach in neighboring areas, Jesus told them not to take any food or extra clothing, telling them God would provide. He also said “...life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). 

Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy that the love of money was the root of all kinds of evil (not that money was evil–the love and obsession with it was). So if we were to follow Jesus’ example today, we would be less concerned with “living the American dream” than managing our money wisely and living in a more minimalist fashion.

Of course there are situations when people don’t have a choice to do without. They don’t need to be told to live simply because they don’t have enough to get by. This has been the situation in my extended family on a number of occasions, so I understand what it means to work harder than others to make ends meet. Even there, I believe God miraculously provides because I’ve seen it in so many people's lives. 

It truly is a matter of the heart. If we remain close to God in Bible study, prayer, and worship, we will know how He blesses us and what we should do with what He has given us. On the other hand, if we spend a lot of time thinking about and acquiring possessions, we would do well to listen to Jesus’ warning that “...the cares and riches of this life and the craving for other things choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

One of the best gifts God can give us is to show us how He wants us to live. He knows everything we have and what we need. If we truly struggle with always wanting more, creating more and more clutter, then perhaps it is a good idea to have an accountability partner to help keep you “honest.” Maybe enlist that person to help you evaluate the things you have and what needs to go. Creating a budget, with the help of someone else if necessary, helps you see where money is being spent and saved. While the Bible talks about living an abundant life, nowhere does it say that we should spend money on more and more stuff. So yes, God does care about your clutter more than you probably realized.

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