We are consumers by nature, habit, training, and culture. We are engrained [read: addicted] in our own way of thinking: we need this; we should do that; s/he should do this; I need to go here or there….to feel complete or whole…or to distract from my inner noise. Such a mindset can draw us away from God and His graces and thus from one another. Disconnection leads to us trying to fill the void, a void to which we often cannot put words—a spiritual malaise that cannot be healed by consumerism in any form.
God knows there is a battle for the attention of our hearts and minds; the enemy works to drown the voice of our loving Father by planting narratives that frighten, distract, and cause self-doubt. We amass and collect physical possessions, stuff, goods, people, and more to busy us, leaving slim openings for God to restore and heal us. This is disordered affection; we seek but in empty places.
So, yes, God does care about clutter and consumerism.
The Psalmist instructs, “The steps of men are from the Lord, and He delights in every detail of their lives.” 37:23 Clutter is not immoral or wrong of itself, nor is consumerism. The details of our lives can separate us from God and morph into idolatry when those details occupy our hearts, souls, and minds more than He does. We move further away from Him as we invite other matters, people, and belongings between Him and us. Note well: God is not the one who moves.
Is there too much mail, tv, music, bric-a-brac, meetings, deadlines, email, laundry, dishes, books, clothes, etc., to upkeep? Does each item or commitment or knickknack have a real purpose—are these healing your disconnectedness or exacerbating it?
When we (yes, I, too, consume) consume, over-consume, commit, and overcommit, we invite one more encumbrance into our lives and homes. Sometimes these are minimal and negligible, but even seemingly inconsequential matters, when layered, become burdens that require attention and maintenance—attention and maintenance that could be devoted to God and coming to know Him intimately.
Take for example, my affinity for ice cream, which, at times, can be insatiable. If I indulge in that quarterly sundae best, I risk the onset of a migraine, which incapacitates me for 24 hours. During that 24-hour period in which the requisite medications substantially alter my cognitive and physical abilities, I have moved away from God. Does God hate ice cream? Unlikely. But He does not delight when I make consumption choices to preclude my ability to connect with Him and others. I’ve arrogantly put my craving [This time will be different!] ahead of my spiritual and physical well-being.[1]
[1] Ironically, I pray and pace while the medicine takes effect on the jackhammer in my head, confounded by thought of how much more excruciating and unimaginable the pain of the crown of thorns must have been for Christ
Do the details of our lives, that is our steps, experiences, decisions, habits, how and with whom we spend our precious time—do these delight the Lord? Do these seemingly diminutive details draw us near to God or distract us from knowing and serving Him? Are we so mired in the minutia of mental and spatial clutter that there is no room for Him?
One tried and true method of decreasing distractions is to adopt a “nothing out; nothing in” policy. In other words, not one additional item crosses the threshold unless one item leaves permanently. Do not bring a new cooking implement or pair of shoes or trinket into your home unless one similar item is donated or discarded. In this way, the volume of possessions does not increase. Be very specific and intentional about what you consume. Ask, “How will this enhance or diminish my connectedness to God and those He puts in my life?” Yes, this is a real question-even for buying a picture frame or furniture or clothing or a vehicle or joining a new club. “Is this purchase/addition going to further anchor me to the world through time and upkeep or help free me from such bonds?”
Keep a box or bag (not just a pile please) opened and ready to collect the outbound goods. Goods to consider for the outbound receptacle are as follows: old undershirts, stained clothing, gifts received and not opened or used, dishes, obsolete power cords/cables, glasses, cookware, books that won’t be read or read again, high school yearbooks (yours, not your teen’s), and more. Ask God to lead you in what to release.
Always start small, but start. The bag or box will fill more quickly than you think. My “out” bag is usually full about every 3 weeks—not because I’m an avid consumer, but because I’m an aggressive purger and now wince at the idea of more stuff. When I tote my “out” box or bag to charity, I’ve cleared my head and heart of these hindrances (once had-to-have items) and the need to care for or maintain them.
Once the bag or box is out, start another. This is not to say that God desires you to downsize (though He may). The point is to take steps that delight Him, to take steps toward Him. Donating goods to ministries and community organizations is a way of sharing the prosperity with which God has blessed us. Clearing away anything that distracts us from knowing and serving God is a step that delights Him, and by doing so, we make room for Him to heal that void our consumerism is trying to fill.
Instead of a feigned connection to elusive belongings, our steps delight Him when we yield to Him and make room for Him to be the center of our lives. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his lifespan? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, they neither toil nor spin.” Matthew 6:26-28.
