Today, Deal With The Clutter | The Edge Media Philippines

‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.’ Isaiah 43:18 NKJV

We all have emotional cupboards where we store our ‘clutter’. And it’s the same in our relationships. It’s hard for a relationship to thrive when either party hasn’t processed their mental and emotional clutter. We are talking about:

(1) regrets we have over past mistakes;

(2) grudges we hold on to when we feel we have been wronged;

(3) hurts we hide under clouds of anger, scepticism, and isolation.

If you’re the type to hold grudges and hang on to past mistakes, even your own, you know the feeling of being weighed down by your mental and emotional clutter. Clinging to hurts and nourishing grudges will eat your soul, consume your happiness, and rob you of all progress. Like blame, this junk keeps you trapped in the past.

If a former girlfriend or boyfriend hurt you and you have never let it go, every time your wife or husband does something like it, you will react with unjustified intensity, as if they were the original person who hurt you. As a result, your mate is left upset and baffled at your overreaction to a slight problem that on its own is insignificant.

You won’t know what you have in your life, let alone what you need, until you clear out the clutter of the past so you can experience the blessings of the ‘here and now’. It all comes down to obeying these two Scriptures:

(1) ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors’ (Matthew 6:12 NKJV), and

(2) ‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.’ (Isaiah 43:18–19 NKJV)

Today, deal with the clutter.

SoulFood:

Philippians 4:4–13 ()

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Genesis 11:1–9 ()

11:1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.