Drowning in Clutter

If you are drowning in clutter that means you are so blessed! God has given you an abundance of stuff BUT all this stuff does not feel like a blessing when it is not managed. And managing clutter is a daily chore.

When we say we are "drowning in clutter" what we are saying is that it's overwhelming us, stressing us out and literally affecting our peace of mind. Stuff can be a blessing and it can be a curse. It's a lot of work to manage it.

When I look at the Proverbs 31 woman I see in verse 15 that she gets up very early - "while it is still dark and provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Don't we wish we had servant girls!!! Well, guess what some of us do...our maids are called...dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, sprinklers, swiffers, fast food, voicemail, computers...we have a whole host of home helpers in our lives...yet we are still drowning in our clutter! How can this be?

Could it be that we are not rising while it is dark? You see rising early begins a entire chain of benefits. There is time for a quiet time with God, time to make a tasty breakfast for the family rather than slipping them pop tarts, time to get organized with your lists for the day. The Proverbs 31 lady knew this morning time was a precious necessity to her day.

I read of the "broken window effect". It's a study that was done in neighborhoods where there were broken windows. It seemed that if there was a broken window found there was even more disarray in the area including graffiti, trash and theft. The look of the broken window invited these things. Do we have that effect in our home? A little clutter invites more clutter. The lack of piece of mind leads to quarreling and complaining in the home. The clutter may lead to an overwhelmed tempermental mommy!

Not only did the Proverbs 31 lady rise early but it says in verse 18 "her lamp does not go out at night." And it appears that she used her evenings to sew. We need to evaluate our evenings - use them wisely. A whole host of excellent things can happen in the evening - you can clean out a closet, iron, organize coupons, write your grocery list, make some freezer meals, go shopping, and clean up ALL that clutter!!!

If you feel like you are drowning in clutter - it may be because there is some time in your day - specifically early morning and late at night (when the kids are in bed) - that you are not taking advantage of. You may be able to find an extra hour in your day that you can devote to digging your way out and as a result find more peace in your home.

In the end of Proverbs 31, both her children and husband arise and praise her: "Many do noble things, but you surpass them all." Where will her praise come from? Not from climbing the corporate ladder, not amongst the women at church or elsewhere - but from her own family. Honor comes through hard work and love poured into our home and into families. Do your family a favor today and invest your time wisely in digging your way out of the clutter.

Walk with the King!


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