If you have children you know what it is like to go into their room and everything that was neatly on their shelves, in their toy boxes, hanging and stacked in their closet, and folded in their dresser has somehow become floor camouflage. Even their beds aren’t untouched by the carried away, spontaneous moments of imagination and play.
I guess there is a time for everything - a time to play and a time to clean up. (Clean up. Clean up. Everyone do you part. Clean up. Clean up. Everyone do your share.)
Even us adults have to un-clutter our lives once in a while.
It may not be the usage, consumption, or lack of effort in sorting material possessions but the way we think over, absorb, and hold on to information.
Our minds get so camouflaged with the matters and details of life we can no longer see the foundation of our lives and what truly matters in life. That goes for activities too!
Ever get over loaded with information and activity?
Has someone ever dumped or unloaded a lot of hefty information in your lap and then walked away? Has someone ever done something to yank your shirt collar?
How about when the aspects and events and tasks at hand get to be SO much to handle that you just end up becoming SO task oriented that you fail to see those around you being turned off by your super taskmaster mode. You’re giving orders here and there and forgetting you are being somewhat insensitive to other people’s feelings around you. (Then you realize… did I just grow horns, become red, and become a great pitchfork poker?)
Then there are some us who get so bombarded with so much information, jobs and tasks that we begin to get bogged down and then literally shut down. Sleep is good for the mind but when your mind is tired because it has a three-ring circus running around inside of it and you happen to be the strong man trying to hold up the elephant there is a problem.
I personally tend to think WAY too much on certain aspects of life which bogs me down emotional and physically. I start to put things on my shoulders to the point I am emotionally and physically drained and worn out.
So what do we do when we cannot discern the matters of the world verses the matters that truly matter in life that us give peace of mind and joy?
There is a wonderful illustration in Luke that might help us understand what truly matters in life.
Luke 10:38- 42 says “As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it- and I won’t take it away from her.”
Martha had her eyes on the details of life. She had made a problem for herself. Ever get so blinded by all the things in life that you get carried away by them and make yourself upset and frustrated? Do you sometimes get even more upset because others aren’t helping you out to solve the problem or they don’t even perceive the tasks, that need to be done, as a problem?
Martha made herself a bomb.
I can see Martha thinking this: “Dinner must be served by this time. This many places must be set. This many dishes must be clean. These food items must be prepared in this way and this manner or else it will not be perfect. It will soon be getting dark and I wonder if I have enough oil to keep the lanterns lit. The main course isn’t being cooked as well as I would like. Why is my sister who knows how do these things as well as I not helping me?”
Mary, on the other hand, is in a different state of mind. Her mind and eyes are on Jesus.
Ever have dinner with a large group of friends? There is a lot of talk and activity. Mary, in the middle of all this activity, has quieted herself down in front of the Lord and simply listened. She made herself available to listen to what the Lord had to say to her and everyone else who had inquiring ears. Her eyes are on Jesus not on the activity and matters going on around her. Notice she didn’t try to argue with Martha, she just stayed focused on Jesus.
Yes there are a lot of things to be done in life. There are a lot of things that are said. There are a lot of things happening in the world around us but where is our focus?
I will admit first hand that it is difficult to see past those missiles of tasks, ideas, and opinions coming towards us everyday. During times of struggle, it is sometimes difficult to pray. It is sometimes difficult to open our bible and read. It is difficult to just sit and be still and be quiet both inside and out. It is hard to find clarity.
Yes it takes a MAJOR effort and step on our part BUT if we just take that step… those few minutes of quiet and few words/ thoughts to ask God to help clear our minds, we’ll find that
Jesus is the greatest interceptor of clattered thinking.
Philippians 4:6 “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
The cluttered pieces of life will be placed in their rightful place and you will see what truly matters in this life.
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