Kingdom Calling Blog…

I have been watching the new series of Home Edit, which is now available on Netflix. It’s about two best friends who run a business together and come in and declutter a room, a space, a pantry, a garage, you get the jist. They also like to organise by colour and I am that person who has their phone apps organised by colour after watching it.

They bring order from the chaos of your life to help you make the best use of the space in your home and leave you with a clearly labelled system that you can maintain once they’ve left after the big reveal of the ‘new’ space they have created for you.

In a recent prayer meeting I felt God start to talk to me through the show, and felt it was for many in this current season of life…

This is a time of ‘clearing out the clutter’ that has accumulated over the last few years over the pandemic. Many are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of ‘stuff’ that has built up. The stuff I’m talking about isn’t just physical, but there might be some of this, but more to do with things that have overcrowded your life leaving you feeling like you can’t see the wood for the trees. It is a debilitating feeling. You have literally run out of proverbial floor space and are having to gingerly step around things to keep from tripping over them. No amount of pushing things under the rug is going to help at this point because it’s become such a big lump that you have to physically navigate it.

So, back to the show and the process that Joanna and Clea have mastered to de-clutter a space. They have 4 clear steps: edit, categorise, contain and maintain.

Edit

This may be the hardest of all the steps as you literally work through all the ‘stuff’ in the space and decide if it’s a keep, donate or get rid of. When things have been around for a while you can become very attached to them, even if they aren’t good for you. This is the time to decide if things are still serving you and if not get rid of them.

This could even be something like a task that you could pass onto someone else as I’m not just talking physical things here but those thoughts, tasks etc that take up the space in your mind and constantly distract you.

This stage may be the hardest but it’s foundational in terms of impact and the ability to maintain a de-cluttered mind and life.

If we look at this process through the lens of our relationship with the Father we can do this part, the hardest part, with His help as we ask Him to come and show us what needs to be edited out for us to move forward. Take time to go through the different areas that you know need to be decluttered and be ruthless with stuff that is taking up space it doesn’t need to be taking in your life. Think about those things that are stopping you moving on to the next thing God has for you or keeping you tied to the past that you have moved on from.

It’s okay to take time to grieve those things if you need to or take time to thank Him for releasing you from them or thank Him for the different ways they have served you well but no longer do.

Categorise

If you were sorting out a physical space here like they do in the show it’s about putting things together that naturally fit like work/office, leisure, games etc. In the context I’m talking about it might look like church, work, prayer, group life, social life and all importantly rest. I would be thinking about diary stuff here and trying to work out a plan for your week, month etc where you plan in the different things you have to do, want to do and rest would be there as a priority.

Contain

This step is about how to store things and get them tidy once you’ve edited and categorised them. This is where you start to see the fruit of your labours as you start to create space. You have less stuff now and it’s actually fun to see it set out clearly in an organised way so that you can get what you need. On the show they are all about using transparent containers and I felt that this stage is about being able to ‘see’ what you need because everything is now transparent and you can put your hand to it as required.

It’s like you’ve sorted through things with the Father and He has revealed things to you that you weren’t aware were there and He is showing you things that had been hidden in all the clutter.You are quite literally being able to see clearly.

Maintain

Once you’ve done the steps there was such a sense in what He was showing me of ordered thinking that was becoming possible. A clarity that was being restored to thinking and creative thinking being unlocked. Suddenly what was overwhelming and closing in on you was open space and you could breathe again. There was such liberty to be fully you as you were able to take up your space and use the things He was giving you and reminding you of things He had given you that you hadn’t used for so long.

Psa 18:19 He bought me out into wide open spaces.

Overall there was a sense that the home that was being edited was the home that God has made within each of us as we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. As He sorts out the clutter we will have a deeper revelation of how much He loves us and is for us.

Eph 3: 17-19 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Why not take a minute to listen to this song ‘We Make Space’ by Melissa and Jonathon Helser and ask Him to help you clear out the clutter.