Cupboard Chaos and Soul Support

Clean counters and organized cupboards help to clear my mental clutter.  Yesterday, as I cleaned out my cupboards, threw away outdated food and organized my spices I wondered at how quickly this space became chaotic. Then I remembered the evenings of fixing meals in a hurry.  More often than not, ingredients were just pushed into the cupboards without particular awareness of where they landed.  Consequently, chaos crept in.

Catalyst for Growth

Similarly, if we are not intentional, chaos can creep into our heart cupboards unaware. It goes something like this.  The times we are on top of our game brings calm to our soul.  We are able to get up earlier than our rowdy crew and spend some time alone with the Shepherd of our souls, we keep the house relatively picked up throughout the day, outdoor playtime happens with our little ones and the evening meal is on the table within ten minutes of our husband walking through the door from his 9-5 job.

We make it through the first part of the week moderately unscathed. Then suddenly our world is upended when everyone and everything clamors for our attention at the same time. The baby is teething, our toddler is wreaking havoc, and our teenagers become moody and morose.  We neglected to pick up meat from the grocery and a forgotten, overdue bill is a glaring reminder of our impulsive buy the week before that drained the checking account. 

Then if that is not enough, the enemy of our soul descends upon us with accusations of failure, coupled with worthlessness. The mental accusations begin to run on repeat and the whirling thoughts intermingled with the stress of the day brings tears and mayhem to our soul.

You may be in a different type of hard, than the one described above.  However, God sees and knows where you are.  God’s purpose is to form you into His image. Moreover, He uses the situations of life to draw us nearer to Him.  We can let life’s difficulties become a catalyst for a deeper relationship with God.

Purposeful Planning

It is here, in the hard that we must be intentional to keep the cupboard of our soul in order. The forming of our spiritual life happens as we walk through the trials of life. How do we react when life meets overwhelm? Are we going to thoughtlessly let our reactions to our struggles become haphazard at best?  Will we let the accusations and erroneous thoughts linger? Or are we going to intentionally lean into the Spirits whisper and let Him direct us through the landmines of life?

When the chaos reigns around you, determine to pause and reorient your heart on Jesus.  Take captive the thoughts that battle for the supremacy of your soul. Let God form and shape you into His image. Deliberately choose to develop the structure of your soul by implementing the principles that you gained during those earlier quiet times with Jesus.  In addition, remember that God equips you for the battle of now.(Psalm 46:1)  Jesus recognizes your endeavors and is waiting for you to reach for His grace in the mess of today.

Moments of struggle can heighten our self-awareness. When this happens our need for Jesus becomes glaringly apparent. Moreover, when we acknowledge our lack of getting it right on our own and lean into God’s faithfulness He will provide the courage needed to face the difficulties of life. Soul structure instead of soul shambles can define our life when we are guided by the whispers of the Spirit.

Chaos Removed

Dear friend, I don’t know where you are in life.  It may be with a houseful of needy toddlers, or you may be fearing an unknown future. Wherever you are, God wants to bring spiritual structure to your soul.  God doesn’t want you to live with your heart cupboard in a cluttered disarray.

Take the time to clean out the cupboards of your soul. Remove erroneous teachings and thoughtless habits that lead to actions that are not Christlike. Increasingly, let God deepen your understanding of who He is and who you are.  Within that understanding will come a greater recognition of the need for God’s transforming grace and power.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

Whether you are in a season of littles or not, time with God can be challenging.  The devil will use our weaknesses and exhaustion to try wreak chaos in our souls. However, God has already won the victory for us. Purposefully, take steps to implement a strategy for victory.  Don’t let chaos claim your soul space. When exhaustion defines your days, cling to the God who is faithful in every span of time. Let Him grow you in His way and in His time. 

• Be faithful with what God has given you to do. (Galatians 6:9) 
• Don’t compare yourself with others. (2 Corinthians 10:12)
• Recognize who you are in Christ. (Ephesians 1:4-7)
• Memorize Scripture. (Psalm 119:11)
• Trust God to work. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• Keep your mind God-centered. (Isaiah 26:3)
• Remember that Jesus is praying for you. (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)

Purposefully keep the cupboard of your heart from becoming cluttered with unnecessary commodities and let God stabilize your soul as you trust in Him.