Clutter Can Be Costly

The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

─ Matthew 19:20-22 AMPC

Clutter damages relationships. Marriage counselors agree clutter is often a problem in the marriages of those they counsel. It creates arguments, disagreements and the physical piles of clutter projects a tense atmosphere for some so that they just can’t relax.

In Matthew 19, a well-dressed young man approaches Jesus. He earnestly asks what he has to do to get to heaven. Jesus walks him through the biblical mandates. And the man is feeling pretty good about himself because he is sure he’s got all his bases covered up until this point.

Then the young man takes his question a little further and asks Jesus what else he can do to be even better. Jesus tells him to go home, sell all his stuff and give the money to the poor.

And the Bible tells us just how he felt. He was grieved and felt much distress. Can you just see him drop his shoulders, turn away without another word and walk slowly away from Jesus? The man lived a privileged, but cluttered life. His stuff cost him a relationship with Jesus.

It’s reasonable to assume this young man, in addition to material possessions, also held on to other types of clutter. Heart clutter – thoughts, ideas and emotions – become trapped and rob us of friction-free relationships. Clutter keeps us from having the kind of relationship God intended for us to have with others – and with Him.

Today’s One Thing

Look deep into the closets of your heart and truthfully evaluate what resides there. Are there things piled up that shouldn’t be there? Are there some things like unforgiveness, pain and hurt that you need to let go of? What about pride or rebellion?

Content Link: https://www.theintentionallife.com/broadcasts/everyday-forgiveness/

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