The other morning in our devotional time the words of a worship song were used. They said “make space". I was struck with these words as I looked at the clutter around me. I have been playing at painting with water colours… with very mixed results! The picture above is not one of them!
In doing this I have surrounded myself (in my lounge room I have to confess) with a lot of painting paraphernalia so that it is near to hand and reminds me to “just do it”.
“Practice makes perfect”, my mother used to say. I was never very good at practising!
This clutter is okay until I'm expecting visitors, then I quickly clear it away, cover it up and make space for my guests. It's not all just to look good, it's to literally make space as half of one couch is, right now, littered with paintboxes, paint charts and visual journals.
The clutter may be in our lives out of a need to be liked, to please others, to look good or just to have “stuff”. There sometimes comes a time when we have to look objectively at this stuff and ask, “Is this hindering me or is it helping me?”
However, there is other clutter that really hinders us that I want to address.
My thoughts, as I listened to this song about making space for Jesus, went to the apostle Peter's words where he says, “Get rid of all evil behaviour. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and all unkind speech” (1 Peter 2:1). This kind of clutter is a real blockage to knowing the peace and the presence of God.
Peter was writing to new believers who had been born again into the family of God and who now have a “priceless inheritance which is kept in heaven for us”. For this reason they were to get rid of all the corrupt behaviour from their old life. The apostle Paul spoke similarly to the Colossians of putting off the old life, putting on “the new you” and becoming more like your Creator.
If we are going to walk with Jesus Christ, we must clear the clutter in our lives which does not reflect him. We have to make space for him in our lives. Space for reading the Bible, for fellowshipping with others, for worshipping together and being instructed and encouraged, and for praying – alone, and together.
Is there emotional or physical clutter in your life which needs to be cleared to make space for Jesus?
It will cost you something, maybe a lot, but it will be worth it.
Paul wrote:
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8
May God make us hungry for that infinite value of knowing Jesus.
Let’s pray:
Father God, thank you for the priceless gift of new life in Christ. Show me the clutter in my life that needs to go so that I can make space for you. Help me to see the great value in knowing you and loving you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
The other morning in our devotional time the words of a worship song were used. They said “make space". I was struck with these words as I looked at the clutter around me. I have been playing at painting with water colours… with very mixed results! The picture above is not one of them!
In doing this I have surrounded myself (in my lounge room I have to confess) with a lot of painting paraphernalia so that it is near to hand and reminds me to “just do it”.
“Practice makes perfect”, my mother used to say. I was never very good at practising!
This clutter is okay until I'm expecting visitors, then I quickly clear it away, cover it up and make space for my guests. It's not all just to look good, it's to literally make space as half of one couch is, right now, littered with paintboxes, paint charts and visual journals.
The clutter may be in our lives out of a need to be liked, to please others, to look good or just to have “stuff”. There sometimes comes a time when we have to look objectively at this stuff and ask, “Is this hindering me or is it helping me?”
However, there is other clutter that really hinders us that I want to address.
My thoughts, as I listened to this song about making space for Jesus, went to the apostle Peter's words where he says, “Get rid of all evil behaviour. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and all unkind speech” (1 Peter 2:1). This kind of clutter is a real blockage to knowing the peace and the presence of God.
Peter was writing to new believers who had been born again into the family of God and who now have a “priceless inheritance which is kept in heaven for us”. For this reason they were to get rid of all the corrupt behaviour from their old life. The apostle Paul spoke similarly to the Colossians of putting off the old life, putting on “the new you” and becoming more like your Creator.
If we are going to walk with Jesus Christ, we must clear the clutter in our lives which does not reflect him. We have to make space for him in our lives. Space for reading the Bible, for fellowshipping with others, for worshipping together and being instructed and encouraged, and for praying – alone, and together.
Is there emotional or physical clutter in your life which needs to be cleared to make space for Jesus?
It will cost you something, maybe a lot, but it will be worth it.
Paul wrote:
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
Philippians 3:8
May God make us hungry for that infinite value of knowing Jesus.
Let’s pray:
Father God, thank you for the priceless gift of new life in Christ. Show me the clutter in my life that needs to go so that I can make space for you. Help me to see the great value in knowing you and loving you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.
Amen.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
