Declare War on Clutter

“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.’ Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant  and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?’ Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.” (Matthew 21:12-17).

For thirteen years we lived in a home on a Bible college campus where the dining room was situated next to the carport. My custom was to check my mail at the campus mail box and carry it home. Each day I made my way up the hill from my office to house #23. I walked up the driveway, rounded the corner onto the carport, open the French door, stepped up one step into the house, and placed the mail on the dining room table.

As you can expect, we quickly developed a pile of unopened junk mail. When Beth returned home from work as a school library-media specialist at a local public school, she made preparations for supper. Inevitably, the dining area was cluttered.

One day I came home from work. Beth looked at me with a menacing glare. She pointed toward a basket placed upon the table. “This,” she threatened, “Is for the mail.”

My wife had just declared “War on Clutter.”

The Temple had become cluttered with commerce. Jesus declared war on clutter. Declare war on clutter!

I remember sharing this truth on a Sunday morning to a congregation in Southern Indiana. I was there for a revival effort. I had just introduced the message: “Declare War on Clutter!” I noticed that the pastor and his wife, along with people in clusters throughout the congregation were trying to subdue their laughter. I didn’t know what was going on. The pastor raised his hand and announced to me, “We have a family in the congregation named Clutter!”

We’re not here to declare war on the Clutters, but we do want to declare war on clutter.

Jesus cleansing of the Temple gives us a picture as to how we must respond to spiritual clutter in our lives. I think that we deal with three types of spiritual clutter: committed sin, the carnal mind, and the cares of life.

Committed sin brings guilt and has to be dealt with through confession, repentance, forsaking, restitution, and faith. When I sin, the Holy Spirit arrests me. My relationship with God is hurt and must be restored.

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (I John 2:1-2 NKJV).

The carnal mind of inherited sin twists and warps our moral nature. The moral nature of Triune God is self-giving love in holy union. Sin has distorted and corrupted the moral order of God’s Creation. Born in sin, humanity creeps through life upon its belly of appetites. But God made us imago dei. The image of God, however marred by Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden, glimmers with hope and potential. God wants to cleanse our hearts, align our wills with His own, and fill us with His Holy Spirit that we may live whole and holy lives.

The cares of life are often crushing. In response to your cares, Jesus extends an invitation:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Is there spiritual clutter in your life upon which you need to declare war? Declare war on clutter.