Mike Puddicombe Do you have a room in your house so cluttered with stuff that you instinctively shut the door when company comes over?
Almost everyone does.
It might be a spare bedroom, a basement, a garage, or even a small closet. It’s the place where unfinished projects, old boxes, and forgotten junk quietly pile up. You know it’s there. You know it needs attention. But as long as no one sees it, it’s easier to ignore.
That same condition often exists in the hearts and lives of Christian leaders.
The difference? A cluttered room in your house is embarrassing. A cluttered life affects your ability to lead.
When Inner Clutter Undermines Leadership
Sin left unattended.
Bitterness that hardens over time.
Bad attitudes, unresolved conflict, quiet rebellion, spiritual fatigue.
These things don’t stay private. They slowly clutter the leader’s inner life until spiritual authority is weakened and effectiveness is reduced. No pastor or ministry leader can guide a church into renewal unless they themselves have experienced renewal.
Before a church’s house can be set in order, the leader’s house must be.
Building an Uncluttered Spiritual House
Proverbs 24:3–4 gives us a powerful picture:
“Through wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.”
Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge are the foundational building blocks of a healthy life and effective leadership. When these are applied intentionally, the result is an uncluttered spiritual house—one ready for renewal.
Here are seven steps every leader must take before attempting to revitalize a church.
1. Give Way to the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit
Scripture reminds us that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. Because He dwells in us, He shapes everything—our attitudes, behaviors, loyalties, and moral standards.
Living under the Spirit’s presence gives us the strength to heed the call to “abstain from every form of evil.” The Spirit convicts, calls us to repentance, and draws us back to our first love—Jesus Christ.
If a leader wants their house in order, the first step is simple but costly: make room again for the Holy Spirit to work deeply and honestly.
2. Get Aligned With the Will of God
Setting your house in order requires realignment.
It means reorganizing priorities, restructuring rhythms, and surrendering personal agendas so that the will of the Father becomes dominant. When the Holy Spirit has His rightful place, He reveals God’s direction with clarity.
Alignment always leads to renewed intimacy with the Father—and renewed clarity in leadership.
3. Take a Personal Inventory
If you want spiritual revitalization in your church, start with yourself.
Ask the hard questions—and answer them honestly:
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Has my relationship with God grown stronger or weaker?
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Does my preaching still speak to my own heart?
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Has ministry become a burden rather than a calling?
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What am I afraid of?
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Do I genuinely love the people I serve?
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Are evangelism and discipleship still priorities?
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Do I have a God-given vision for this church?
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Do I have the courage to lovingly challenge the status quo?
Your answers will shape the future of your leadership—and your church.
4. Get Rid of the Weight
Hebrews reminds us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.”
Not everything that weighs us down is obvious sin. Some habits, relationships, or patterns once served a purpose but now hinder growth. During revitalization, old things must be removed to make space for what God wants to do next.
If something no longer adds spiritual value—or actively limits your effectiveness—let it go.
5. Deal With the Hindrances
Hindrances are unavoidable.
They’ve existed since the fall, and they’ll remain until Christ’s return. They come in many forms—circumstances, conflicts, disappointments, even people. They can feel overwhelming and deeply discouraging.
Leaders don’t avoid hindrances. They learn to confront them faithfully and move forward anyway.
6. Focus on the Right Stuff
Church revitalization demands disciplined focus.
Prayer.
Forgiveness.
Unity.
Peace.
Love.
Mercy.
Nehemiah understood this well. Jerusalem’s walls were broken, the city vulnerable, and opposition constant. Yet he refused to be distracted. His focus on the mission allowed God’s work to move forward despite resistance.
Revitalization stalls when leaders lose focus. It advances when leaders guard it fiercely.
7. Keep on Keeping On
Early in ministry, I learned the power of a simple phrase: keep on keeping on.
An elderly woman prayed for me daily, and every time she spoke with me she repeated those words. They still echo in my heart. Renewal—personal or congregational—doesn’t come quickly. It comes through faithfulness, perseverance, and trust in Christ’s strength.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” isn’t a slogan—it’s a survival truth.
Start With Your House
Take these seven steps seriously. Let God clean, reorder, and renew your inner life. One day, you’ll look back in awe—not at what you accomplished—but at how God used your obedience to change the course of a church Jesus died for.
Revitalization always begins at home.