“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2
As recent empty nesters, my husband and I have begun thinking about downsizing. It’s amazing how much we’ve accumulated over the years. Sweaters seem to reproduce in the back of the closet. Papers bulge in file folders. Bins of outgrown toys fill the basement.
As we sort through things to donate or sell, we have an opportunity to think about which items are really precious or needed, and which things are simply clutter. One of the challenges of sorting out clutter, is that I rarely have to make a simple choice between something good and bad. Instead, there are lots of good things—just too many of them. Working at de-cluttering my home, I thought about the rooms of my heart.
I’ve also picked up some spiritual clutter along my way. I’ve been excited by a particular trend in worship, or embraced a specific spiritual discipline, or grappled with differing theological understandings of certain questions. But every now and then, Jesus reminds me to bring my focus back to what is absolutely essential—the simple core truth of His death and resurrection.
I heard a story once that a leader of the Christian faith, with a wealth of intellect and scholarship at their disposal, was asked to summarize his beliefs. He chose to describe the central truth of the Gospel free from embellishment, in the words of the children’s song, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” When I quiet all my opinions, knowledge, and experiences, and everything else falls away, I can focus on that simple core truth, and rejoice.
Faith step: Are there any good things in your life getting in the way of the One best thing? Invite Jesus to clear away the clutter.
