Excessive Clutter

What is clutter? It is acquiring and maintaining things in a crowded, chaotic manner.
This kind of disorder can make things difficult to manage or utilize. Clutter is generally
thought of in the physical realm, what is seen around us. Yet, it can refer to a state of
mind or heart. Clutter can hinder us from living the life God desires, interfering with
our spiritual growth and ministry, inhibiting peace and joy. We can become over
whelmed and then, absorbed with trying to fix things and putting pressure on our
selves; a type of legalism. This ends in anger, frustration, or discouragement. It is the
fleshly sin cycle of Romans 7; the end is being immobilized or pushing God away.

Satan’s design is to corrupt, veil, or replace what God desires to accomplish in us. For
example, he attempts to exchange God’s Word with a high volume of worldly input.
These things are distracting and become overpowering mind clutter. This information
age offers luring benefits: entertainment and knowledge at our fingertips, but it is often inaccurate, contains only a strand of truth, or is laced with lies. Yet it envelopes us, consuming our time, and is most addictive. How do we sift through this massive data to determine use, accuracy, and relevance. Maybe we just can’t.

Be aware: Acquiring Bible Truth not rightly divided (II Tim. 2:15), or an extensive amount of Pauline doctrine, without making the time to digest and prove it, will also clutter and overwhelm the mind. We will shut down or just accept what we hear, not being Bereans: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Reflect: Slow down, be wise, and take responsibility for what you take into your mind and heart. Think… How does this information overload impact you day-to-day? Below are a few verses that teach you how to make Scripture your own. Prove all things, then walk by faith.

1. Believe: “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” (I Thessalonians 2:13)
2. Study, think, and do it in your life: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)