A Cluttered Heart

I ADMIT TO BEING A COMPULSIVE “NEATNIK,” sidetracked by clutter and mess. Priorities are suspended while I put a misplaced item in the right spot, push in a drawer, straighten a crooked picture, sweep up crumbs, or wipe a messy counter. Annoying clutter in my home distracts me from my primary plan. But what about the clutter in my heart?

Pride, vanity, selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, a judgmental spirit, failure to forgive, and more all distract me from the good plans God has for me. Yet while I rarely ignore the real clutter in my home, I often step over, work around, close my eyes to, or make light of the heart clutter that prevents spiritual victories and spoils my potential for positive influence with people in my sphere.

Although my goal each morning is to address the clutter in my heart with the Lord, it’s tempting to skip the unpleasantness. If left unattended, however, accumulated clutter takes over both our homes and our hearts, causing us to stumble. Even if we shove it in a drawer or kick it under the bed, we’re still aware of the presence of the clutter we don’t take time to deal with. And this is where the analogy breaks down. We can ignore the mounting clutter in our homes with minor repercussions, but we experience life-impacting consequences when we disregard the accumulation of sin cluttering our hearts.

The “neatniks” in my family are outnumbered by the “messies,” but all of us deal with sin’s stronghold in our hearts. Even when we know Jesus, we are still sinners who can have victory over sin one minute and then be defeated by our sin the very next. It’s a battle we will fight until we go to heaven, and thankfully God’s Word includes a plan for daily victory. After Nathan the prophet pointed out King David’s sin with Bathsheba, David cried out to the Lord for forgiveness:

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

And my sin is ever before me.

Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in your sight. . . .

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness.

I memorized the following four verses and put them to a simple tune so I could hide them in my heart and sing them to myself as a reminder that only the Lord has the power to forgive sin and create in us the clean hearts we long for:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners will be converted to You.

Take time today to deal with the clutter in your heart. A clean house makes us happy, but a clean heart makes us holy. We have the incredible option to trade the heavy burden of sin cluttering our hearts for the joy of clean hearts. When we do, we can share the wonder of God’s forgiveness with others, giving us the privilege to influence those around us to know our great God.

REFLECTION

Do you have a regular practice of confessing your sin (in other words, agreeing with God that it is wrong) and asking for God’s forgiveness? If not, take time to reread the verses from Psalm 51. Also, consider memorizing a key New Testament verse on forgiveness, 1 John 1:9, known as “the Christian’s bar of soap.” It’s just what we need to cleanse cluttered hearts: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NKJV). And we don’t need to wait to remove the weight! As soon as we’re aware of a sin, we can confess it and receive forgiveness. Take advantage of this great trade today: Exchange sin’s clutter for God’s forgiveness, freedom, and peace.