How can you spiritually declutter your soul? How can you get rid of the junk that you have inside – the stuff that is making things messy? What will you replace those things with? Is there really a three-step process for spiritual decluttering? Let’s find out!
Here, you will learn about three important steps that will help you learn exactly how to declutter your soul. The first step is to assess your spiritual life as it currently is. This will take honesty and steadfastness. You can’t easily give up here. You must look at your baggage!
Maybe you have negative influences that are keeping you down, unconfessed sin that is eating you up, or distractions that are making it difficult to have a genuine relationship with God.
The second step will examine how to better fill your time with a look at some of the spiritual disciplines available. Of course, there are many more than the ones listed here.
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Declutter Your Soul: Step 1 – Assess Your Spiritual Life
As you assess your spiritual life, you will identify your spiritual clutter and declutter your soul by making changes. These adjustments to your spiritual life will help you grow as a Christian and as a person, so be sure to take advantage of all the resources suggested.
Identify Your Spiritual Clutter
As you identify your spiritual clutter, be sure that you are honest. No one is grading you here. Rather, this is between you and the Lord. It’s important that you are sincere in your responses so that you can grow as a person and as a child of God.
Negative Influences
When spiritually decluttering, the first thing you will want to do is to identify spiritual clutter. This could be as simple as negative influences in your life. Those might be celebrities, social media influencers, or even close relatives or friends who are keeping you from God.
Ask yourself:
- Do they bring you closer to the Lord or further away?
- Do you feel refreshed when you leave their presence or drained?
- Are they someone you can bring to the Lord through your example?
- In what ways could you be a positive influence on others?
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33
Unconfessed Sin
If you have sin in your life, it is time to stop to best declutter your soul. There is no better moment than right now to confess that sin to the Lord. Do not allow the enemy to have a hold on you with any type of bad habit, personal hangup, addictive behavior, or other type of sin.
While no one really has a complete “list of sins,” there are a few reliable lists online. When you do a search and consider using a source, make sure you find one that is reliable, relevant, and follows the Bible. You can often gauge this by watching a sermon to see if they follow the Word.
You can find many trusted online churches and sermons recommended in the How to Go to Church article.
As you assess the sin in your life, be sure to be honest about what is eating you inside. God will not allow you to fester over a matter that is of Him. In other words, if something does not “feel right,” it usually isn’t. God gave you gut instincts for a reason.
Ask yourself:
- What is pulling you away from the Lord?
- In what areas of your life do you feel guilty?
- What do you need to confess to God?
- In what areas of your life are you embarrassed?
- Where do you feel impure or unhealthy?
- What changes are needed to help you feel right again?
Distractions
What about things that are leading you away from the Lord? Do you have distractions that are preventing you from having a relationship with God? Make sure you identify what they are and how you will eliminate them from your life and replace them with something godly.
Ask yourself:
- Does this make me feel good inside?
- Do I believe this thing is from God or from the enemy?
- How would I feel if my preacher or pastor saw this?
- Would I be doing this if Jesus were in the room with me?
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Evaluate Your Spiritual Health
Next, you will want to evaluate spiritual health as a whole. You’ll need to look at your relationship with God, how well you are using spiritual disciplines to grow as a Christian, and what changes you need to make to improve upon them.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have a relationship with God?
- Which spiritual disciplines are you using to grow closer to Him?
- Are you using any spiritual discipline as a means for entertainment or pride rather than a means for growing closer to the Lord?
- How are you growing in your faith each day? Which spiritual discipline is developing you as a Christian?
Use a spiritual evaluation to determine where your spiritual priorities lie and to assess where you are spiritually so that you may effectively declutter your soul.
Of course, it is crucial that you are honest when doing any evaluation. If you are not, you will not receive accurate results that will help you grow.
Learn more about how to analyze your spiritual life.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:18
Declutter Your Soul: Step 2 – Plan What You Need to Do
As we take the information that you have discovered from your spiritual evaluation, we will embark on a journey to set spiritual goals and make plans to implement spiritual disciplines. We’ll also take a look at some of the spiritual disciplines that you might want to plan to use.
Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
You should now have a good sense of where you are doing well in your spiritual life and where you need to improve. We all have strengths and weaknesses. If you perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, you will likely see things clearer.
Upon understanding your strengths and weaknesses, you might want to determine how this relates to your spirituality. For example, maybe you don’t enjoy reading but find writing quite pleasant. In this case, I would suggest spending more time journaling and trying an audio Bible.
The examples are endless because God made each of us unique. We all have various gifts and strengths that others do not have. God made us this way so that we could work together in life. He did not create us to be solo artists, so discover where you shine and fit with others.
Introducing Spiritual Disciplines
As you learn about spiritual disciplines, you will want to set spiritual growth goals and create a plan for your spiritual disciplines. Having a loose list of spiritual practices that you “might” do each day will not get the job done. It takes real discipline to create a true bond with the Lord.
Let’s discuss some of the various spiritual disciplines. Keep in mind that many of the ones listed below are common. Some are unique and might be a challenge or upgrade to implement. Only take into consideration what works for your relationship with God.
Additionally, these are not all of the spiritual disciplines available. These are just a handful. There are hundreds of ways to spend time with the Lord and grow closer to Him. You might find this list of spiritual disciplines to be overwhelming; don’t let it be. Use what helps YOU.
In the How to Build a Quiet Time Bible Study, we walk through many ideas that you might have never considered! As mentioned, there are spiritual disciplines that are not listed here, so discover and research more if you so desire. Have fun with it. Time with God is precious!
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15
A List of Spiritual Disciplines
Once more, I would like to say this list is not complete. Some interesting spiritual disciplines can be found in Richard Foster’s List of Spiritual Disciplines. Zondervan also has a list of 20 Spiritual Disciplines that you can check out to help you as you declutter your soul.
Prayer
Prayer is when we talk to God. When we read or study the Bible, we get a chance to listen to Him. You might also experience the Lord’s Spirit when praying. Prayer takes practice and can be developed with dedication and time.
Helpful Resources:
Additional FREE Prayer Journals and Prayer Resources are found in the Shop.
Memorizing Scripture
Scripture memorization is critical for evangelism and teaching others of the Good News of Christ. We also need to have the words of the Bible near our hearts at all times so that we can have hope, persevere through hard times, and encourage others during trials.
Helpful Resources:
The Bible Memory App for Smartphones
FREE Memory Cards and a Complete Bible Memory System are found in the Shop.
Bible Reading and Bible Study
Staying grounded in the Word is critically important if you wish to develop your faith. Daily Bible reading and studying the Bible is needed for a strong walk with God. Consider using a Bible reading plan and following a Bible study that will help your spiritual growth.
Helpful Resources:
FREE Bible Reading Plans and Bible Study Worksheets are found in the Shop.
Church Attendance
Attending a Bible-based church is very important. You will be able to fellowship with other believers and grow together as Christians when you attend a church regularly. You can also help each other through the ups and downs of life.
Helpful Resources:
Fasting
Fasting is not a spiritual discipline that everyone practices, but Jesus did! Fasting does not have to be about food alone or at all. At times, you might find it necessary to fast from social media or secular television. It might be good to fast from your smartphone for a certain length of time.
Helpful Resources:
Fasting Resources by Dr. John Piper
Fasting Resources by Wendy Speake
Sharing the Gospel
We were created and meant to share the Good News about Jesus Christ. We need to aim to save others and share with them what we know to be true. Explain the beauty of having faith and let them see you live that out on a daily basis.
Helpful Resources:
Sharing Your Faith by Billy Graham
3 FREE Smartphone Apps to Share Your Faith
We are, therefore, Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20
Gratitude
Gratitude to our Creator for all of the wonderful things He has made is essential. If you do not recognize the things that you are grateful for on a regular basis, you will have a sour attitude and begin to harbor hateful feelings, such as the feeling of resentment.
Helpful Resources:
How to Use a Gratitude Journal
FREE Gratitude Journals and Gratitude Games are available in the Shop.
Praise
Praising our Lord is along the same lines as gratitude. You can praise God in church each Sunday morning or enjoy praising Him during your quiet times. If you struggle in this area, you might want to think about what you are grateful for and study the attributes of God more.
Helpful Resources:
Praise and Worship Bible Study
Determining Where You Are
As you have now learned about the different spiritual disciplines, think about where you need to make improvements and in what areas you are currently doing well. Determine which areas need to grow and ask yourself how you will improve there.
Ask yourself:
- What do I love doing? Why do I love it so much?
- In which area do I struggle? Why is that?
- What could I spend hours doing without hesitation?
- What do I dread doing? Why is it troublesome?
- Where would I like to see improvement?
- Where do I currently have a plan for growth?
- Which area would I love to learn more about?
As a refresher, here are the spiritual disciplines that we covered to declutter your soul:
- Prayer
- Memorizing Scripture
- Bible Reading and Bible Study
- Church Attendance
- Fasting
- Sharing the Gospel
- Gratitude
- Praise
Remember, God does not expect perfection. He knew we could never be perfect, which is why He sent His only Son to take care of our imperfections. We don’t have to be perfect, but we should want a relationship with God and it will include the spiritual disciplines.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Declutter Your Soul: Step 3 – Create Goals and Take Action
As you prepare to take action, remember to have a prayerful attitude. In this step, you will eliminate spiritual clutter, cultivate spiritual practices, and set spiritual goals to maintain your spiritual health in a way that is manageable to you.
Eliminate Spiritual Clutter
If you’ve identified the clutter in your spiritual life, it is time to take action. That means staying away from negative influences, sinful behavior, and harmful distractions. Take all necessary steps to keep yourself away from those things.
Here are some suggested actions to take (if appropriate):
- Try a 30-day fast (replace a bad behavior, such as addiction to social media, with a good one).
- Talk to your preacher or other Biblical minister online.
- Join a support group (preferably a Christian one, like Celebrate Recovery).
- Seek Christian counseling in your area or online.
- Pray to the Lord about your sinful behavior and how to best stop it.
- Start a journal about your distraction or sinful habit.
- Join Celebrate Recovery if applicable!
Now that you’ve taken the time to eliminate all spiritual clutter, whether that is a negative influence, a sinful habit, or something else that is distracting you from the Lord, take a breath. You have let go of that sin or negative influence. Be proud of yourself!
Cultivate Spiritual Practices
You might now realize that you have a blank space where you previously had something. Something feels missing. This is normal. You have eliminated one thing from your life – clutter. You now need to replace that clutter by cultivating spiritual practices.
This should include the spiritual disciplines mentioned above. Things like prayer and meditation, Bible reading and Bible study, and fellowship with other believers will help you during this transition from feeling as if something were “missing” to feeling “whole” again.
If you need to, adopt a spiritual practice that you have never done before. Take the time to learn about it and master it. Do some research and develop it as if you were training for a marathon or Olympic event if you find that helpful. Often, we excel the most when we are challenged.
If you were previously doing a spiritual practice but not wholly, consider revising your method. You will want to participate in your faith with all of your heart, soul, and mind. You likely will need to expand upon what you were previously doing.
Use the following articles for further encouragement:
Radical Habits to Try to Develop Your Faith
Create a Prayer Notebook or Prayer Binder
Make Your Very Own Prayer Closet
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. – Colossians 2:6-7
Maintain Your Spiritual Health with Spiritual Goals
Many people develop certain routines for their spiritual development, maintenance, and growth. You might want to consider creating spiritual goals as part of this enlightening transformation period. As you develop routines and goals for spiritual growth, be sure to pray about them.
Goals can help in a number of ways. First, they will certainly motivate you to push the envelope. Second, if you create goals that are challenging, you might determine new ways to accomplish them – things you would never normally think of. Finally, goals are fun to achieve!
The following resources may help you create spiritual goals:
How to Get Started with Spiritual Goals
75+ Examples of Spiritual Goals
To achieve your spiritual goals and make progress toward even further spiritual growth, it is important to regularly review and renew spiritual commitments. Have you achieved all that you hoped to at this point in your life? How can you recommit to the Lord?
If your calling in life is to be a missionary, you might keep a journal that motivates you and reminds you why you do what you do. If you are in another line of service for the Lord, a journal of self-discovery or encouraging words would also be helpful and appropriate.
For any calling, be sure to pray to God about your mission on a daily basis. He always has new objectives and challenges for His people. If you are reading this, that includes YOU! You know in your heart what God has called you to do, so go ahead and get busy today! Don’t wait!
Practice these things; immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress. – 1 Timothy 4:15
Additional Resources to Help You Declutter Your Soul
As you take the steps to declutter your soul, be sure to utilize any other healthy, Biblical resources that assist you on your journey. The following additional resources might be helpful to you as you perform spiritual decluttering.
FREE 30-Day Spiritual Challenge Printable Worksheet
The 30-Day Feast by Wendy Speake
Live Decluttered Mini-Course at Christian Leaders Institute
The Care and Decluttering of Your Soul Course at Christian Leaders Institute
Spiritual Disciplines Mini-Course at Christian Leaders Institute
Declutter Your Soul Concluding Thoughts
Have you decided how you will begin to declutter your soul? Have you ever tried spiritual decluttering? What elements helped you succeed, and in what areas have you needed help?
We are doing a 30-day decluttering challenge in our Bible study Facebook group – Sharing Life and Love Sisters. Find us online to learn more about the fun activities we have planned. May God bless you on your spiritual journey!
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment. – Philippians 1:9
