Have you ever opened a cupboard and thought, “How did all of this get in here?” It’s certainly something that crossed my mind a few times when we moved house a few weeks ago!
Nothing inside is especially bad. A few mugs. Some tins. A stack of things you might use one day. But somehow, little by little, the space has filled up. And now you cannot find what you need.
Life can feel like that too.
Think about clearing a shelf at home. Almost everything on it may have earned its place. Nothing looks ridiculous on its own. Yet together, it has become crowded. You may keep asking, “Could this be useful?” when the better question is, “Does this still deserve this much space?” That question matters today, because our lives can fill in exactly the same way: slowly, reasonably, and almost without our noticing it happening.
A screen we check too often. A habit we barely notice. A commitment we said yes to months ago. A possession we keep upgrading. A routine that once helped us, but now seems to run us.
None of these things may be wrong. But they can still take up too much room.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. And even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything.”
That is such a gentle but searching truth.
Paul is not asking only, “Is this allowed?” He is asking a deeper question: “Is this controlling me?”
And that gives us our simple thought for today: freedom is more than having choices.
You can choose something freely at first and then slowly find that you cannot imagine life without it. You can pick up your phone because you want to, then discover you reach for it without thinking. You can take on extra work because you care, then realise you no longer know how to stop.
A choice can become a master very quietly.
What takes up room also shapes attention.
Think about a kitchen worktop. If every inch is covered, even something useful begins to feel like clutter. The problem is not always the object. Sometimes the problem is the space it occupies.
The same is true in the heart.
What keeps pulling your thoughts back? What gets the best of your time? What leaves you restless when it is taken away?
Those questions are not meant to make you feel guilty. They are invitations to notice what is shaping you.
Jesus leads us towards spacious freedom.
He does not shame us into a smaller life. He frees us for a fuller one.
The aim is not to throw everything away, cancel every plan, or give up every pleasure. It is to live with enough space to hear God, love people well, rest without panic, and say yes to what matters most.
So here is one small act of faith for today.
Choose one thing that may be taking more from you than it gives. It might be a possession, a screen habit, a commitment, a routine, or even the need to keep up with everyone else.
Do not make a dramatic promise. Just create a little space.
Put the phone in another room for twenty minutes. Leave one evening unscheduled. Give away one thing you do not need. Turn off one notification. Say no to one extra demand.
Then use that small pocket of space simply to be with God.
You do not need to prove anything.
You are not loved because you have a perfectly ordered life. You are loved because you belong to Christ.
Question for you: what is one thing in your life that may be taking up more room than it should?
Let’s pray.
Jesus, thank you for loving me without pressure or shame. Show me what has become too important, too loud, or too controlling. Give me courage to make a little space today, and help me live freely with you. Amen.
Tomorrow, we will look at another kind of clutter: the achievements, titles, and successes we sometimes use to prove our worth. We will ask what remains when nobody is impressed, and discover why knowing God matters more than being noticed.