What a mess!
We often find ourselves saying that—whether it’s about the massive clutter in your bedroom closet, the breakfast spills from a toddler, or an emotional mess from a breakup or divorce.
Then there are the “big messes,” like the horrific damage—physically and emotionally—to Lahaina, a community in Maui, Hawaii that was recently obliterated by devastating fires.
Many lives lost. People missing. Hearts broken. Homes and businesses burned to the ground.
My heart breaks for them.
Whether the messes in your life are big, small, or somewhere in between, how do you clean them up and move forward.
What do you do when you feel sad or overwhelmed—or just plain numb?
The Good News? God is all about fixing broken things and restoring people.
Restoring order to your heart
God is willing and able to restore your life. He is more than able! God can help you to:
Order your heart to make room for God and to connect with Him on deeper levels.
Order your emotions and clear out lingering anger, bitterness, pride or other things to increase your joy and contentment.
Order your thoughts and get rid of mental clutter so you can focus on your priorities—and realign your life.
Clearing the clutter from your heart is the focus for today—asking God to change your inner life so you can be transformed from the inside out.
And when you do, you become better equipped for ordering the other areas of life.
It’s a process.
And it starts with prayer.
Prayer is vital to making significant life changes.
As you talk with God in prayer, ask Him to cleanse, heal and restore every area of your life.
Cleanse Me
We get hurt, or we hurt others, so our hearts needs to be cleansed of any wrong-doing.
Ask God, What do I need to release?
Maybe you need to let go of resentment, offense, bitterness, or a judgmental attitude.
Whatever it is, ask God for forgiveness and cleansing in your own life.
When we are repentant and ask, God forgives us. Freely and with grace—and our parched weary hearts feel clean again, like clear, pure water washing away the dirt, shame, or pain.
Heal Me
What areas need healing in your life? You may already know, but you may not.
Ask God, Lord, what needs healing? Please heal me. Restoration and healing may come suddenly or over time. God works differently at different times. But He is always at work. And our great God has the power—and the willingness—to help us and heal us.
Fill Me
As you are cleansed and healed, ask God to fill you.
Ask God, What do I need to add or bring into to my life?
You’ve taken off or released things that have hindered you, like pride for example, and now “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).
Being OK with the process
Remember, change is a process. Going from emotional mess to heart order doesn’t happen overnight.
Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. But that’s part of healing. Hang in there, it will get better!
It’s like road construction. You often have to deal with cracked concrete and bothersome detours first before a smooth, new road is built.
Likewise, clearing the clutter from your heart takes time—and sometimes a few bumps along the way.
As you pray and take action, you will find more peace and freedom. You’ll feel lighter—as if a weight has been lifted from you.
In addition, you’ll be making room for new perspective and better days ahead.
And when you do, you never know what surprises our great God may have in store for you.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
–Jesus, in John 16:33
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