Christians have long held to the belief that God wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. I once heard a preacher ask the congregation what they would do if they knew Jesus was coming to their house. Would they panic, trying to clean or hide things they wouldn’t want Him to see? Would they dust off their Bibles and put them on coffee tables in prominent places? Or would they be willing to open the door wide and invite Him in with a smile?

I balked at the prospect—not because my family had anything “bad” in the house, but because the thought of His holy presence coming into our cluttered, disorganized home felt … wrong. It’s no small wonder that I spent my late teens and early twenties in a constant struggle between hoarding and obsession with organization. I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos and multiple Netflix documentaries, read books, and listened to audiobooks and podcasts about the life-changing magic of ditching clutter, organizing our homes, and leading a simpler life. Recently, however, the thought struck me: amidst all this clutter craze, what does the Bible have to say?

Treasures or Torment?

Christ’s admonishment not to seek treasures on earth, but in heaven (Matt 6:19-21), came to mind when I began my search—but my hoarding tendencies did not come from a place of desire for treasure, wealth, or possessions. They came from a place of anxiety: the ever-constant what-ifs of life. But it was a two-edged sword. Rather than easing this anxiety, the clutter surrounding me every day made me more anxious. Libby Sander, an organizational behavior expert, has performed research that shows our environments directly and significantly influence our brains and emotions. Clutter, Sanders asserts, causes visual distractions, inhibits working memory, , can affect sleep, may correlate with poor eating habits, and causes constant fight or flight response.

This fight or flight response, in the form of intense anxiety, followed me throughout my many attempts to declutter. I was not like the rich young ruler, full of sorrow at losing my possessions when I donated them (Matt. 19:22). In fact, I felt relief with every bag I dropped off at my local thrift store. I was thrilled to give the things that caused me stress an opportunity to bring joy to someone else, through their purchase at the store, or the store’s donation to those in need. Still, that couldn’t be everything the Bible had to say about the home. If having little or no possessions was the will of God for the Christian life, why would the Proverbs 31 woman be a role model for Christian women like me?

The Proverbs 31 woman is shown to tend to her house, help the poor, clothe and feed her family, and even operate a business. Surely, then, having things cannot be inherently wrong. But where is the line? Did the Proverbs 31 woman have some special organization skills I simply lack, or was she a hardcore minimalist? Am I simply lazy or sloppy because I’m imperfect in housekeeping?

When God Stepped In

This line of thinking only brought me more anxiety and confusion: and that’s when God stepped in. He came not with minimalism, or perfect organization, or a team of professional cleaners. It wasn’t through a YouTube video, a Clutterbug quiz, or yet another cleaning and decluttering book.

He simply brought grace.

The Proverbs 31 woman is successful largely due to her time management and keeping with her priorities. She has routines that help her keep her family clothed and fed and her home tidy. Certainly, an overabundance of frustrating, anxiety-inducing clutter isn’t overly welcome in her house—but that does not prevent her from owning nice things.

One Thing Is Necessary

Household management is hard. Maintenance alone can be overwhelming, not to mention all the seasonal cleaning and areas often forgotten, like under the fridge or behind the stove. A lot of things can just be hard to clean. Then schedules get busy, life throws curveballs, people get sick—and not many people truly love cleaning. I certainly don’t.

But that’s where grace stepped in. In my craze to find an escape from the cluttered life I found myself in, I remembered Jesus’s words to Martha: “Thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful” (Luke 10:41-42). In the same way Jesus extended grace to Martha, He extended grace to me. I was anxious. I was troubled about, and by, many things.

But one thing is necessary: my relationship with Him.

A Place of Trust

I realized the clutter I’d accumulated had a lot to do with “I might need it someday.” But God has promised to meet our needs (Matt. 6:25-34). Keeping items that cause stress and frustration because I might need it someday only distracted me from God’s providence. I realized I’d been putting trust in things, rather than Jesus.

The decluttering process, for me, is so much more than an organization craze or life-changing magic. It’s more than just aesthetics or perfection. It’s more than counting the items I own or a color scheme. It’s more than minimalism versus maximalism.

For me, decluttering has become a lesson in trusting God to provide for all my needs. Decluttering my home, and consequently, my mind, is leading me to a place of trust and peace. All I needed was a little grace.

Works Cited

Holy Bible, King James Version. Thomas Nelson, 2016.

Sander, Libby. “What Does Clutter Do to Your Brain and Body?” NewsGP, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 25 Jan. 2019, www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body#:~:text=Clutter%20can%20affect%20our%20anxiety,other%20people%20decluttering%20their%20lives).

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