Down-sizing the Soul

For many, it seems to be a year to down-size. Women of all ages tell me that getting rid of their excess stuff produces a sense of freedom and lightness that they never would have imagined. Unused and unwanted possessions put a burden on our lives that we don’t realize until that burden is removed.

Sin is like that. Sometimes I’m conscious of it, like when I want to control (instead of trusting God) and pile upon myself the burden of worry. I spend all my time and energy in a mental effort to change things with that burden robbing me of sleep and making me hard to live with. I’ve even toiled to gratify some sinful desire and found that my craving was left unfilled anyway, becoming another burden.

Sin can be an unconscious burden too. For years, I’ve carried frustrations that would not be there if I was obeying God. Once aware of my disobedience, these burdens morphed into guilt, also heavy.

Another weighty burden is the effort to earn God’s blessing. While I know I cannot save myself or earn my salvation, I’ve struggled with trying to please God by being or doing what I thought He wanted. I’ve even used my “good” as a bargaining chip so He would answer my prayers, piling excess responsibility on my soul. More than once, the Lord has said to me, “Get out of My to-do list.”

Come to me, all 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)

This verse brings those burdens to mind. God doesn’t want me to carry them. Instead, He explains that His load is lighter by using two words for burden. “Heavy laden” is the Greek word for cargo or shipment, while “my burden” is the word for the invoice.

One of the most challenging results of sinning is the guilt it creates. Guilt makes most people run and hide like Adam and Eve did, toiling to cover themselves and their shame. This shows an understanding of sin’s awful nature and that it deserves punishment, but it does not give the full picture. God forgives sin because of Jesus. Jesus took our punishment by experiencing the wrath of God Himself, for our sakes. Because He died, we can live.

We can also call out this good news to others who carry that same burden…

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Revelation 22:17)

Sin, if not abandoned, will have consequences. For those who do not know Christ, it is eternal.

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11)

For those of us who do know Christ and have His promise of eternal life, the consequences of sin are in this life. That is, sin heaps on me burdens that I cannot bear. God’s invitation for me is the same: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

 (image source)

To Live is Christ — uncluttered

When we put new flooring in our kitchen, hall, living room and dining room, those areas were stripped of all furniture and accessories to minimize the cleanup after the job was done. We liked the simplicity and decided to not put it all back.

When we were in Arizona for a month, we stayed in a fairly new condo, simply furnished and decorated. The cupboards held all the essentials, no more or no less. We enjoyed the simplicity and freedom of being uncluttered. When we got home, we determined even more to get rid of those things that take up space but are not essential or even used.

Before this, I had little idea that I’d feel such a sense of freedom from paring down. I am an “information collector” with full book shelves. While my house is clean, all the storage areas tend to be filled to capacity. Besides that, I am a detail person who suffers from an easily distracted attention span. As we de-clutter, I notice that with fewer things to distract me, I feel more focused, more prepared to work at those tasks at hand. I’m also enjoying my home more as it contains less.

This works in my spiritual life too. The past few days I’ve been going over the characteristics of the self-centered life posted on March 24. As I consider each one, the Holy Spirit brings to mind things that I’ve been guilty of  and that I need to confess to God. As I do that, and as He produces in me a sense of remorse, He also forgives me, as promised. My guilt is taken away. Not only that, He is cleaning up attitudes and working to pare down my life. This passage from Psalm 51 is like a whirlwind going through my heart.

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart — these, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:16–17)

The results have been amazing. Just like I didn’t know a cluttered room put pressure on everything else I did, I also didn’t know how much a burdened heart affected my sense of well-being. Even though I didn’t fully realize that I was carrying a big load, God did. He wanted to clean house, but I also needed to pray that He would show me what needs “fixing” in my life. This is a scary prayer, but definitely worth praying. I feel lighter, literally, and more able to focus on the essentials.

To live is Christ means being unfettered by sinful and selfish attitudes. Going through the motions of the Christian life is not what God wants. Instead, He wants me to see the stored up shelves of “me, me, me” and realize that it is clutter. He will sweep it away if I ask Him to do it.

However, Christ is polite. He only moves into spaces that are otherwise unoccupied. By clearing the storage shelves of my heart, He is free to refill them with Himself. He brings into my life a great freedom, even a sense of being organized and purposeful, and far more energy. Like my home, I am enjoying life more when it contains less — less of me and more of Him.