The Next Right Thing A Devotional By Emily P. FreemanSample

Day 2

Become a Soul Minimalist

Psalm 46:10

When we have important decisions to make, we tend to want more input, not less. We approach daily decisions and plans for the future like hoarders gathering opinions, facts, perspectives, and lists. But what if we approached them like a minimalist: clearing space, quieting our mind, and listening for whispers in the silence? 

When the answers aren’t clear, what we want more than anything is peace, clarity, and a nudge in the right direction. The problem is we are often looking for direction in all the wrong places. Often the clues to our next decision remain within us, unheard and undiscovered. When we take the time to follow those clues, we might find out we are holding on to some things we no longer need and gripping some things we might need to let go.

Input is everywhere in this highly stimulating world. The input is automatic, but the output is not. How can we regularly get rid of the soul clutter we no longer need? 

Becoming a soul minimalist does not mean you should hold on to nothing but rather that nothing should have a hold on you. Stillness is to my soul what decluttering is to my home. Silence and stillness are how I sift through the day’s input. The silence serves as a colander, helping me discern what I need to hold on to and allowing what I don’t need to fall gently away, making space to access courage and creativity, quieting to hear the voice of God.

What I find more helpful than any list, question, or sage advice, is simply to get quiet in a room with Jesus regularly, not for the sake of an answer but for the sake of love. I cannot promise your decision will be made with ease, but I can say that you’ll remember love is the important thing. And when you have a big decision to make, you need all the love and support you can possibly get. The only place I know to find that for sure is in the presence of Jesus.

Lord, we confess we live distracted lives, but we rejoice with confidence that we don’t have to figure out our way back to the light and easy way of Jesus, because you have already made your way to us. We have your Spirit living within us, which means there’s hope for us after all.