Video Transcript: Learning How to Declutter Your Soul

Welcome back. Today we're going to talk about how to learn the science and  times the art of decluttering your soul. Let's look at decluttering. What does it  mean to be decluttered? at the soul level decluttering includes minding your  temple. And we know that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In dealing  

with the truth of the clutter, we see in the clutter, we do not see. Then we walk  more fruitfully in the Holy Spirit toward a healthy soul. So in the whole world of  decluttering, there is stuff that if you go into a house, and you'll see that, where,  from everything you can see it looks fine, looks like Hey, I mean, this person has a very decluttered house. But if you open a closet, it's just clutter everywhere, or if you go into a certain room clutter everywhere, and we all understand that  because we all have potentially have places that are decluttered that no one  sees. And then what is seen is looking more decluttered. We know that the  Pharisees, for instance, had public decluttering everything they did looked so  amazing. But Jesus says that their hearts were filled with clutter, they were like  Vipers and, and inside their heart was was selfish ambition. So this is an  important thing. So what we're talking about is both what is seen, and what is  not seen is the imaginations of a heart, who you are when nobody's looking, and who you are when people are looking. And both are important to consider. So to  get at this to learn how to do it. I like what Dana K. White does, in talking about  the container concept. And we actually have a decluttering class that we feature  her videos, I went through her book on decluttering if I was really interesting.  Anyway, she says the to get at decluttering. Understand the container concept  that we're going to apply this to the soul. But first let's look at the container  concept. In general decluttering there is usually clutter that creeps into your  home. first premise, a box, closet, room, or even your house is a container.  containers have limits and container limits. Some things are acceptable and  others are not. priorities must be made to what is acceptable in fit into the  container, what goes into the container and what comes out. We have our  favorite clutter, we have clutter that we allow and we must address it. We must  not strive against the container of your home. You must not strive against the  container of your home or against the architect that built your home. So what  you say in there in the world of decluttering the understanding that your house is a container. And that's just the way it is, is the first step to understanding the  decluttering of your house. And it's very enjoyable to listen to her talk about how  in read how priorities must be made in do not contend against the creator of  your house, the architect of your house, or the very house that you're given that  that is the container that's what it is. To fight against. That means that you'll fight  in clutter that to no end. Now let's apply that to soul clutter. Sin so easily creeps  into your soul that is your body or spirit, body and spirit. Your soul your body and spirit is a container. Your soul has limits. containers have limits. priorities must  be made to what you put in your soul. And you must decide or discern what  goes into your soul container and what must be thrown away. Most of us have 

favorite or often sinful and often sinful clutter, we allow to stay. You must not  strive against your soul or the architect God that is created you as a living being. Isn't that just how it is that there's often favorite distractions and and that favorite distraction could be nothing on the surface that's sinful, it could just be a very  busy life that keeps you away from communion with God the secret place with  him, it could be many good things. Or it could even be sinful things. Often, the  clutter, you see in the clutter, you do not see the sinful clutter. Some of the sinful  things are private things that are in your mind that still clutter your closets of  your spirit and body. And some time, sometimes you can look one way but  you're struggling with something else. And you know, something that's common,  and as human, we all have Clutter Clutter, you see and clutter you do not see.  And this class is about understanding that you have limits and you want limits,  you want a decluttered secret life you want a decluttered lifestyle, you want a  decluttered life that people even see in you. So in all ways to come to the idea  that you have a soul and your soul has limits. And your desire to grow and be  healthy is very important. We read for instance, in Hebrews 12. Therefore we  are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything  that hinders and the sin that so easily entangled and let us run with  perseverance, the race marked out for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the  author and the perfecter of our faith. So sin so easily creeps into your soul, and  we hear in the word to like just throw out the junk. So this soul decluttering class is going to do that. Here's another passage that can be helpful in the  decluttering process. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy  Spirit. Notice there's even a container there a container of the Holy Spirit now it  does not contain all of the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is not limiting  the Holy Spirit's impact. The Holy Spirit is constantly given to us. But our  temples are a temple, our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you  whom you receive from God, you are not your own. You were bought at a price  therefore honor God with your body. What I love about that passage is that in  some ways, I realized that I'm a renter, I am not my own I'm owned by God, and  that the Holy Spirit is given to me. And how awesome is that? That I am a  temple of the Holy Spirit. And how hurting to myself in dishonoring, to God, and  to my neighbor, that I have, that I love clutter, just to be in places in that temple  is very convicting. I Peter 2:4-5 says, As you come to him the living stone -  rejected by men, but chosen by God, precious to him. You also like living stones  are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual  sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. spiritual sacrifices  acceptable. Now Dana K. White talks about that in her book talking about so  here, you have your container in your house. Okay, so here we have our soul,  we have this container, and then the questions that she poses to every item that  goes into your house is this is I need to choose between this or that and in only  the this that ultimately is appropriate for my container stays. It's not too many of 

clutter, not too much clutter, and you know, there has to be choices. And we see  that from that passage. And I'll go back to that again and read it again. As you  come to him, the Living stone rejected by man but chosen by God and precious, precious to him. You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house  to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through  Jesus Christ. So when it comes to the container of your soul, we offer spiritual  sacrifices acceptable. In other words, what do we need to sacrifice, to put on the altar, to confess, to get out of our life, to get cleansed from acceptable to God?  You know, some people, when they go away from God, what they sacrifice is a  connection to God, they they don't find the following God acceptable. So they  sacrifice that but that's not acceptable to God that's acceptable to the devil.  That's acceptable to their sinful spiritual nature. This is what sacrifices WHAT  DO WE declutter, that serves the Lord. You I'm going to end this presentation by going back to since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let  us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let  us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. I love that passage  because it really says, okay, in that runner metaphor, is like anything that clutters your ability to run the race, throw it off. So as we're running the race, have faith  in the soul, whatever can clutter our soul, throw it off, and find a way to say, look, this is not good for me, Holy Spirit help me. As we finish this, I'm gonna just give  a little challenge to everyone about fasting. We read in chapter 6 of Matthew 16,  to 19, as you fast, do that look somber, like the hypocrites do for they disfigure  their faces to show men they're fasting, I tell you the truth, they have received  their full reward or the reward in full, but when you fast, put oil on your head and  wash your face, so that you will, it will not be obvious to men that you are  fasting, but only to your Father who is unseen, and your Father who sees what  is done in secret will reward you. So there's a little and again a challenge on  fasting. Now, fasting can be interpreted, in many ways, it could be a fast from  some food, or it could be a fast from, you know, social media, it could be a fast  from going out with your friends or be a prayerful challenge to you is what do  you want to take away to limit? Let's put it this way, so that you can actually look more soberly. At your soul. There's something about fasting, my experience at  least, and I and I believe this has been the experience and there's many more  experiences of this spiritual experience. When you deprive your, like wanter  from something that wants that could potentially hurt your relationship with God  or get you distracted into other places. Or even something that's good, like food, where it gets you to go at that level, where you get to your very existence, you  know, food is that such a desire for food, and to retard that or limit that and then  have that as a spiritual experience. Or fast from a thing you love coffee, and you crave it. But for the next month, no coffee. Let's say you want to limit you know  some of your recreational activity. You just love to, you know, go golfing. I know I do. We say You know what, for the next two weeks, I'm not golfing in that time of

golfing. I am going to dive deeper into my relationship with the Lord, all of that  fasting and that while you're doing that, let's remember, don't make a big public  spectacle of it. I'm not going golfing right now because you know what? I'm  trying to grow with the Lord right now. Okay, no, no, no. You might want to say  you know, I'm taking two weeks off from golf. Why? Henry, you love to golf. I just have to take a little break. Okay? And then smile about it and all of those things.  But then, you know, so instead of taking a break from golf because your back  hurts, we'll look into gum and golfing too much you're doing it just because is for  the Lord but you and the Lord, do that together and secret. So my challenge is, I end is, is is there a fast that you can put in your life that sort of helps you  address you at a soul decluttering level. So, this is such a you know, for me this  class has been so enjoyable because as I've been studying this class, I've been  learning more about my own soul. How my soul works in relationship to Lord  and the desire to be closer to the Lord and decluttered May God bless you as  you join this journey continue on in this journey. Keep moving in a way to share  with others how they too can be decluttered May God bless you