“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24 NIV).
Recently, I decided to declutter my home, starting with the spare bedroom closet. Sorting through old newspaper clippings, pictures, programs, and keepsakes triggered a flood of memories, both good and bad. I considered whether I should also declutter my heart of things from the past I no longer need.
How do you declutter your heart and what will you experience?
How to declutter your heart
Our key scripture is a prayer written by King David. He asked God to search his heart and test his spiritual condition to determine if his thoughts reflect the way of the world (offensive way), or the way of God (everlasting way).1
So, the first step is to ask God what to declutter from your heart.
Seeking God’s guidance and obeying Him may not be easy. But remember, God’s not finished with you yet!
Here are some things God might tell us to surrender when we ask Him to help us declutter our hearts. However, your list is between you and God.
- Unhealthy habits or addictions
- Resentment, envy, bitterness, unforgiveness
- Negative self-talk
- Feelings of insecurity
- People pleasing
- Perfectionism
- Unrealistic expectations others have of you
- Unhelpful automatic negative thoughts that get stuck in your mind
- Comparing yourself to others
What happens when you declutter your heart
Following my breast cancer treatments, I self-medicated with alcohol because of depression and an inability to cope. I couldn’t accept that the fatal disease I beat could return one day and take my life.
Decluttering your heart is like Step 4 in Alcoholics Anonymous, which reads, “make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”
I remember the peace I felt when I completed my 4th step moral inventory of all my resentments and negative thoughts and shared this list with God and my sponsor in Step 5.
Decluttering our hearts, like decluttering our homes, takes time and effort, but is worth it.
What should you expect to experience? Here are some possibilities. 2
- Closer relationship to God
- Peace and contentment
- More energy
- Less stress and anxiety
- More joy
- Healthier relationships
Final words
Decluttering my home and heart is an ongoing journey. Are you ready to start the journey? Pray and ask God what to surrender in your heart that does not serve you well.
May peace and order fill your homes and hearts.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, show me what thoughts, behaviors, and desires to surrender to you so that I will reflect Your glory, not mine. Let my heart be transformed so Your light shines through me to others. I’m so grateful you loved me so much you sent your Son to die for me, so I can have eternity with you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
References
- VanGemeren, W. A. (2008). Psalms. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms (Revised Edition) (Vol. 5, p. 964). Zondervan.
- Bailey, Marcyline, “3 Benefits of Emotional Decluttering and How to Do It,” REAL Social Workers Online Magazine, accessed April 30, 2025, https://www.forrealsocialworkers.com/3-benefits-of-emotional-decluttering-and-how-to-do-it/.
