I hold on to things for too long.
This wasn’t much of a problem until my wife and I got married, returning from our honeymoon to a 700 square foot apartment. During my final year of grad school, I’d come home from a night class to find a pile of my stuff by the door with a note “you have one week to use this, or it’s getting donated - we don’t have room!” Over a decade later, I have great appreciation for my wife’s love of weeding out the excess and her ability to separate nostalgia from practicality.
Whether you have hoarding tendencies or not, the temptation to accumulate is real.
One area where we accumulate is with our spiritual practices and resources. Most American Christians have multiple physical copies of the Bible. We have several devotional books and a large number of Christian books. In our pockets, we have apps which give us instant access to study helps and dozens of Bible translations in our language.
The problem is these once helpful resources can easily become clutter that gets in the way of our deepest desire - to connect with and experience intimacy with God. Recent research indicates that the volume of options available today actually makes it less likely that we’ll take action. When we have a shelf cluttered with thirty kinds of ketchup, we are less likely to buy it. In the same way, when we have so many devotional options, the likelihood that we’ll reengage these important practices goes down.
There are so many ways we can renew a daily spiritual practice. Online bookstores are a never-ending scroll of resources. A Google search for devotional ideas yielded 30.2 million results for me today. One of the top articles included 146 best devotional idea images.
I’m sure these are all great ideas, but I’m not looking for hundreds of ideas or millions of options. And I don’t think you are either. We’re looking for one thing - a deeper sense of God’s presence in our life. We’re looking for greater confidence in His love and guidance.
What if this fall is a time when we choose to “declutter” our quiet time? Instead of making a complicated plan, what if we come back to a sense of simplicity and seek a renewed clarity in our time with God each day?
If this is your struggle and this is your desire, then here are 7 simple next steps you can take today which don’t cost any money. They aren’t fancy - this moment isn’t going to look beautifully staged for an Instagram post. Even our attempts to share what God is doing can be clutter which gets in the way, right?
If you’re looking to grow closer to God without the clutter, you can start right here:
1. Pick a consistent time in the day
When it comes to building intimacy with God, consistency is the goal. Consistency is more important than complexity. In fact, complexity can be the enemy. Pick a time each day (or at least on weekdays) during which you can continue to connect with God in an intentional way.
2. Start with silence
As much as we’re afraid of zombies today, we’re even more terrified of silence. Silence and stillness unnerve us. But God doesn’t speak above the noise of our lives. In the life of Elijah, in 1 Kings 19, and in our lives today, God isn’t going to shout over the cacophony. He’s going to invite us closer by whispering. Be quiet and allow your soul to come to rest, even if just for a few moments.
3. Read a passage from a physical Bible.
I love my Bible app. The highlights, verse images, and tools are all awesome! But I recommend grabbing a physical copy of the Bible, opening it up, and reading from it each day. It doesn’t matter where you start or how much you read. Something special happens when we open God’s word with open hearts. He longs to speak to us through the Scriptures. So pick a spot and an amount to read each day and read that!
4. Prayerfully reflect on what you’ve read
Having read through the Bible in both 90 and 365 days, I can tell you that our problem with Bible reading isn’t accumulation; it’s reflection and application. The goal isn’t to get through a book or the entire Bible - the goal is to get the Bible through your heart and soul. Note what sticks out to you - underline, highlight, or write in the margins. Sit for a few moments and let what you’ve just read sink in deeper. If you need to, read the same passage several times.
5. Write one page in a journal or notebook
As a recovering overachiever, this practice of making my goal one page instead of two, three, or five feels freeing. Whether it’s reflections on what you read, thoughts on what you’re experiencing, or a simple prayer, fill up that one page each day.
6. Thank God for meeting with you and ask Him to keep speaking
Making time for this, showing up, and actually sensing God at work - that may be a huge accomplishment and breakthrough. On some days, just keeping this up will feel like a huge win! Pause long enough to thank God for meeting with you during this time and ask Him to continue speaking to you.
7. Give it time
On its current trajectory, our culture may never foster patience in our hearts. Therefore, we must consciously remain rooted in the One who brings spiritual faith that includes “love, joy, peace AND patience.” If you aren’t hearing God speaking with crystal clarity, or your expectations aren’t immediately met, take a breath and give it time! The best things take time, and God is at work, whether your feelings agree or not!
These 7 steps don’t cost anything. They aren’t fancy, and you can’t post all of them on social media as you do them. But, over time, their simplicity can help you clear the clutter out of your quiet time and renew a deep, abiding sense of God’s love and presence in your daily life!
And that’s what matters most.
Want to dig deeper into your quiet time? We’d encourage you to read and reflect on the following verses:
- Luke 5:16
- 1 Cor. 9:24-27
- 1 Timothy 4:8
- Romans 12:1-2
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- Hebrews 4:12
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three “little savages.” He is the creator of the Free to Forgive Course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
