My office finally looked clean. I had a podcast guest coming over to record and I wanted the place to look pristine, and it did. After the podcast, I sat down at my desk and opened the drawer. Disgusting!!! All of the outward mess shoved into the hidden spaces.
Have you ever come to realize that you're not as put together as you think you are? Perhaps everything looked nice and neat on the outside, but then you opened the drawer, the cabinet, the dresser — and saw clutter everywhere. You realized how much decluttering still needed to happen.
A lot of times, what we present on the outside does not represent what is going on inside of us. We appear put together, like we've actually got our act together, and yet, if we're honest, we have to admit that on the inside we're a mess. The work of renovating our heart still has a long way to go.
I think when those times come, it's a healthy place for us. It's an honest place that allows for change to truly happen. But this kind of change takes time and commitment, because the reality is that we can get by with a put together exterior and a messy interior for a long time.
What does a cluttered heart look like?
A constant angst under the surface about all the things we can’t control.
A secret habit robbing us of peace and joy.
An exhaustion from the never-ending work of trying to keep up and not make mistakes.
A short temper or just beneath the surface impatience.
A low-grade depression.
If that's where you are, it may be time to look inside and do the hard work of renovating your heart. Here’s a few thoughts worth consdiering:
1. Sit down in relaxed, unrushed time and write down your thoughts. What is it within you that needs renovating? Clutter takes a lot of different forms. Is it a habit gone rogue? Is it a thought pattern that you can't seem to shake? Perhaps there's a relationship that needs addressing. Maybe it's the need to give attention to your walk with God. Think broadly and write deeply.
2. From that journaling, write down a few key prompts. They don't have to be perfectly put-together goals with metrics — simply a key prompt or two that you can use to remind yourself on a regular basis, whether daily or weekly, of the renovation work that you need. It may be something as simple as “Instead of worry, I will trust God.” “I will slow down and breathe.” “All is well. I am loved.”
3. From there, with your key prompts, remind yourself regularly of what is important to you, of the hidden work of renovation that creates a new person. Dealing with the hidden clutter in our hearts is much more difficult than a little exterior cleaning. Progress may be slow. We may need to bring a friend in to help us with our renovation. But the work of heart renovation is where the best of life rises to the surface - peace, love, and joy.
When we look back on our lives at the end of this year, it may be this internal work of renovation that shines as a beacon that we are a new person, that change is possible.
May we get closer to the point where our internal world more closely represents our external world.