The "Hoarders" edition.

"As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord's teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way...The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ's kingdom is poverty, not possessions...The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work." Oswald Chambers.

So, I don't watch alot of TV, but there is one program that I have watched in the past that really stuck out to me. You may have seen it. You may have seen previews or clips and been left cringing with a lingering sense of claustrophobia or horror-- the show I am referring to is "Hoarders." In one show it documents and peeks into the life of a compulsive "hoarder"-- one who has piled and basically boarded themselves into their own house because they are surrounded by so much disarray, stuff, junk, garbage or even material possessions that were purchased and never used. It's compulsive and the show sends people in to sort through their many possessions for them, often throwing things out and even getting psychologists involved (seems it's an actual disorder).

I am not going to lie, it was hard to watch at times. I, as someone who would lean more to the side of throwing out too much, cannot fathom how someone allows themselves to collect so much junk, how someone allows themselves to keep buying and accumulating, yet never using the stuff one has gained. It boggles my mind. When you can't even sleep in your own bed or find the kitchen stove because there is too much stuff in your home, it's safe to say there is a significant problem at hand.

The funny thing about these people who hoard is that they are surrounded by literally piles of material goods around them--many of these things being new or never used. They have many material possessions--more than myself. However, you could never convince me to call a person like that wealthy or rich. Nope. When I see a person surrounded by such mess and chaos, I am overcome with overwhelming sadness for the incredible poverty of heart that surely caused them to start hoarding in the first place. What type of a hole is someone trying to fill when they can't stop accumulating?

I have to wonder, are the spiritual states of our hearts any different at times?

I may only be in the early years of my second decade on this earth, but I have come to accumulate many things in the "home of my heart" in that short amount of time. I have many dreams, desires, hurts, memories--good and bad-- that occupy and take up residence there. Some of these things push me to become a more godly woman and some of these things I full well know are hindering my walk with God.

Chambers in his quote above is adamant that in order to receive anything from God we must come to a realization of our spiritual poverty. As reflecting on this earlier today, I started to realize all the areas of my life that I am entirely dependent on God's goodness. I am entirely at his mercy to provide what I need to function in any of the gifts I may have or to be the type of person that draws and leads others to him. I need God to "clear the hallways and rooms" of my heart in order to even come to a place where I can admit my dependance on him. Otherwise I could look around, see all my "stuff" and think I am quite ok doing things on my own.

This truth became very real to me in the last year when God related it to me this way: I was shown a picture of a little miniature treasure chest--small enough to hold against my heart with both hands. Inside this chest were all the things I hold dearest to me: dreams, aspirations, relationships, family, etc.  God showed me that by keeping the chest locked and firmly clasped in my hands, I was not allowing him to take out things he didn't want there. In fact, by holding so tightly to this thing, I was not even allowing him to upgrade many of the dreams I had close to me. 

We forget that when God takes away, he replaces the thing he took with something far better than we started with. We need to realize that the "stuff" we have may actually be just junk we have allowed to accumulate when God wants to come in, clear the floor and put in some nice new furniture and appliances. :)

Like Chambers writes, perhaps God may let things get to the point where we "stumble over some obstacle in our way" and realize that what we have is a gross counterfeit for the abundant and simple life that God longs and loves to bless his children with.

So, examining my own heart...what have I allowed to sit and clog the hallways of my heart? What am I refusing to see as junk and clutter? What does God want to take away so he can fill it with something better? Where can I acknowledge my poverty so God can fill me with his incredible riches?