10 Reasons Why Christians Need to Declutter Their Homes and Minds

This post is about why Christians should declutter!

Clutter. It’s everywhere, isn’t it? In our homes, in our minds, and even in our relationships with God. Many Christians feel overwhelmed and stressed by the clutter in their lives. But did you know that decluttering can actually help improve your relationship with God?

This post will discuss my personal decluttering journey and 10 biblical reasons why every Christian needs to declutter their homes and minds!

Feel free to use the table of contents…but I can tell ya that this post is super interesting; I don’t think you’ll need it.

Ready? Let’s go

My decluttering journey…

When I immigrated to America in 2007 via green card (I actually won the green card lottery at age 19!), I had one suitcase. Honestly, It was really tough to pack my entire life in one suitcase. Deciding what was essential and what wasn’t was difficult. Why? I had accumulated many thrifted clothes over the years and had a stash of memorabilia from childhood.

It was also really hard to leave my childhood bedroom. I previously shared a bedroom with my little sisters, so when my older sister moved out, I moved right in and made the room extra cozy. I really loved it, my lovely closet had a vanity set, I also had a little studying nook that was connected to a balcony. (every introverts dream LOL)

Once I immigrated, I started holding on to stuff; I’m super sentimental and wanted to build up my own “stuff” again. I remember the first junk mail I received, LOL🤣…I was ecstatic. It was kinda like social proof that I was finally building myself in the new country that God sent me to! 🇺🇸

Over the years, I would send back suitcases with things I didn’t need to our rural village in Kenya. They were clothes, shoes that my kids outgrew, etc. My extended family appreciated it, but I could not send the clothes as frequently as I truly wanted. So, over a span of 15 years of holding on to stuff, I realized that I needed a declutter!

So when did it start? In December of 2017, I read Terri Savelle’s book titled “Declutter your way to success.” I did declutter but begrudgingly… LOL…I still held on to some stuff I stashed in the basement storage.

A few months ago, God spoke to me about excellence in everything- even at home with homemaking and dealing with that basement storage. I actually wrote a blog post titled “11 Characteristics of the Spirit of Excellence.”

So in short, my decluttering journey started again! I have titled it “Decluttering with Excellence!” (applause please 😂)

God has given me the strategy to declutter, and now I’m honestly at peace with it. I enjoy it. I feel ready and more open to letting go of stuff.

My decluttering journey has comprised :

• Numerous trips to the Goodwill drive-through to donate lovely stuff that I haven’t used for a decade!
• Going to the residential side of the county’s recycling plant (hey, I’m being responsible!)
• I am going to the community shredding drive-throughs to drop some stuff since my shredder overheats after a while…ugh!
• Detoxing my mind! I’ve always had this “organized clutter” where people don’t see my storage in the basement. They were always neatly tucked in totes. But friends, it took God to help me realize that I need to let go!

10 Reasons Why Christians Need to Declutter Their Homes and Minds

There are both biblical and clinical reasons for decluttering. Here are 10 reasons every Christian should declutter their homes and minds:

1. Stewardship

As Christians, we are called to be stewards of everything God has blessed us with. This includes our time, our talents, and our possessions. When we are good stewards, it opens the door for God to pour out more blessings into our lives.

2. Clutter can be a form of idolatry

When we place our stuff above our relationship with God, it becomes an idol. We may not realize it, but if we are constantly thinking about our stuff or worrying about it, then it has become an idol.

3. Help us to focus on what is important

Getting rid of the excess stuff in our lives allows us to focus on what is truly important. We can focus on our relationship with God and spending time with Him instead of worrying about our stuff.

4. Stress and anxiety

When we have too much stuff, it can be overwhelming and cause us stress. This is not how God wants us to live. He wants us to live in peace and joy, not in anxiety and stress. We can find a sense of peace and calm when our homes are decluttered. This can help us to feel closer to God and more able to hear His voice.

5. Clutter can distract us from our relationship with God

When we are constantly surrounded by stuff, it can be challenging to focus on our relationship with God. We may spend more time thinking about our stuff than we do about God.

6. Decluttering can help us to simplify our lives

Getting rid of the excess stuff in our lives allows us to focus on what is truly important and simplifies our lives. We can focus on what is truly important and spend more time on things that matter instead of worrying about our stuff.

7. Physical manifestation of our spiritual condition

This is not always the case, but here goes…sometimes when we are cluttered, it can be a physical manifestation of the fact that we are not living in accordance with God’s will for our lives. We may be holding onto things that we should let go of, or we may be living in a state of chaos instead of order.

8. Source of financial stress

First, when cluttered we can end up duplicating items in the household because we can’t find them.

In addition, when items we don’t need constantly surround us, it’s easy to start feeling like we can’t afford to live a simpler life. We may start to feel like we need to keep up with the Joneses and buy all the latest gadgets and trends. But when we declutter our homes, we can simplify our lives and save money. We can use that money to tithe or give to missions. We can also use it to pay off debt so we can live a more financially stress-free life.

9. Source of physical danger

Depending on the extent….when homes are full of clutter, it’s easy for one to trip and fall. But when one declutters their home, they can create a safe environment for themselves and their families.

10. Source of allergies or physical illness

When constantly surrounded by clutter, we’re more likely to get sick. We may catch colds and flu more easily. We may also suffer from allergies. But when we declutter our homes, we can create a healthy environment for ourselves and our families.

Clinical Reasons for decluttering

I will reserve the super clinical details for my clinical blog, for now, here is an overview:

• Cognitive benefits- less mental clutter means improved focus, concentration, and memory. Less physical clutter also means less visual distraction and stimulation, improving focus and concentration.
• Anxiety and depression- studies have shown that people with cluttered homes are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. This is likely because physical clutter can lead to feelings of overwhelm, inadequacy, and frustration.
• Stress- a cluttered environment can be very stressful. It can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, out of control, and anxious.
• Sleep problems- clutter can also interfere with sleep. It can cause anxiety and stress, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Donate!

Donating is a noble thing; I remember being a college student in rural Virginia, and I would 100% thrift, and it was always a treat when I would find really awesome usable stuff.

Through my decluttering journey, I consciously decided not to sell or send anything back home. That was slowing down my progress. So here is my way of paying back!- through donation!

When we declutter our homes, it not only benefits us but also helps those in need. When we donate our unwanted items to charity, we are allowing them to receive something they may need. In turn, this act of kindness can come back to us.

The Bible tells us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When we give, we are blessed. We may not receive anything in return from the person we donated to, but God will bless us for our acts of kindness.

God will reward what you do in secret!

Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

So often in our Christian walk, we focus on what God can do for us in the public eye. We want to be used in big ways and for our ministry to be seen by as many people as possible. But we fail to realize that God often uses us in private before launching us into public ministry.

When we give God our time and attention through decluttering and donating, we give Him our best. We are telling Him that we trust Him with the areas of our lives that we have been holding on to for so long. And when we do this, God promises to reward us. We are saying that we believe He is enough.

Take a moment to think about how you can declutter your home and mind for God. What areas of your life do you need to give to Him? What are you holding on to keeping you from fully trusting God?

Excellence in decluttering

As Christians, we are called to a life of excellence. We are to do our best in everything we do, whether big or small. This includes decluttering our homes and minds.

Excellence is honoring God with our best. It is not perfectionism that leaves us never feeling good enough. It is a heart attitude, not perfection of our circumstances. True excellence starts with the desire to do our very best for God’s glory-not our own.

When we strive for excellence in our homes and minds, we are more likely to find joy in the process and the results. We can take pride in a job well done-not because it is perfect but because it is our best (progress over perfection!). It is an excellent use of the gifts, talents, and time God has given us.

So let’s strive for excellence in our decluttering journey and honor God with our best!

Don’t be too busy decluttering!

Ok, I know I’m here encouraging you to declutter….but don’t be too busy about it.

Ok let me explain…

How often do we find ourselves caught up in the business of life? We run around from one task to the next, never stopping to take a breath. We are so preoccupied with caring for everything and everyone else that we forget to care for ourselves. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and overwhelm.

I mention this, so we don’t let the pendulum swing to the other side…. don’t go and declutter and forget the essence of everything. It’s easy to go crazy with the decluttering bug that we forget what’s really important.

I’m constantly reminded of Luke 10:38-42, where Martha was distracted by house preparations and missed Jesus ministering!

So friends, let’s not get carried away that we miss God. God has to be there in our decluttering journey. In fact, reserve some little time a day, and listen to a sermon or two as you declutter. Take the time to sit in the quietness of it all and speak to Jesus.

Bottomline- Don’t let it take over your whole life!

Tips on Christian decluttering

If you’re ready to declutter your life, here are a few tips to get started:

• Start with the right attitude. Ask God to help you let go of things weighing you down.
• Listen to your favorite sermon or worship music as you declutter.
• Start with one area at a time. Don’t try to declutter everything at once or you’ll become overwhelmed.
• Be organized & set aside some time each day to declutter. Even just 15 minutes can make a difference.
• Create a plan of action. Decide what you’re going to keep and what you’re going to get rid of.
• Be patient and consistent. Decluttering takes time, and it won’t happen overnight. But if you’re persistent, you’ll see results.
• Don’t try to do too much at once. Start small and work your way up.
• Delayed gratification– gift yourself something once you hit a milestone in your decluttering. For me, I’m planning to repaint my home! We have a beautiful creamy colored paint but I’m thinking of going more lighter and airy.
• Celebrate your successes. Every time you get rid of something, take a moment to celebrate. This will help you stay motivated and on track.

And that’s it, folks, reasons why Christians should declutter!

So, there you have it! Ten reasons why every Christian needs to declutter their homes and minds.

I hope this post has inspired you to start decluttering your own home and life.

Other blog posts that I wrote that seamlessly fit this one:

How to Replace Negative Thoughts With God’s Truth

11 Superb Tips to Giving Yourself Grace

Power of the Tongue with Clinical Examples

Hugs!