Spring Cleaning

Saturday was the first day of spring.  It also marked the end of a week of spring break for a lot of people.

As spring comes around each year, it seems to make people get in the mood to do some spring cleaning.  This "spring cleaning" often-times involves more than just the typical everyday cleaning that has to be done, but goes deeper into the cleaning process:  Cleaning out closets, cleaning out from under beds, going through boxes of stored items, going through piles, etc.

It's a good idea to "spring clean" our physical homes, but from time to time it's a good idea to "spring clean" our spiritual lives, as well.  What should we clean?

1.  Cobwebs:  Think of the cobwebs as sin in our lives.  If we regularly dust our homes, cobwebs won't form.  In our spiritual lives, if we regularly resist temptation to sin, the habit of sin will not form.  Since there is no such thing as a little sin or a big sin, we need to focus on ridding our lives of any sin.  Sin that's not taken care of (repented of, resisted) will grow bigger and bigger and harder to "dust" away.    And you know how sometimes you'll look up at your ceiling and see a cobweb hanging (please tell me you have this problem occassionally, too!)?  Well, those little neglected places that form big long cobwebs on our ceiling and just like neglected sin in our lives.  If we ignore them or fail to notice them, they'll just grow bigger and bigger. The devil likes cobwebs (sin) in our lives and does his best to get us to fall by tempting us.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

2.  Closets:  Think of closets as our mind/heart.  If we keep stuffing "junk" in our closets, pretty soon the closet will be all full and we won't be able to store what needs to be stored.  The "junk" will take over unless we get rid of it.  Likewise, if we fill our minds and our hearts with "junk" we will not have enough room for the "good" stuff we should be filling our minds with - wholesome things, spiritual things, godly things.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

3.  Clutter:  Think of clutter as the busyness of life.  If we allow clutter to continue to pile up in our homes, pretty soon we're going to be over-run with - well, with more junk!  In our spiritual lives, if we allow ourselves to become too busy with activities and work and obligations, we won't have time to do what God needs us to do.  He gave us a mission:  We're to be His servants.  We're to do good works that He planned for us to do. We're to tell others the Good News of His Son, Jesus.  We can't become too busy with the clutter in our lives that we forget our mission.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

Romans 12:1-2 (vs. 2 is repeated entirely here)

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

 

To clean your home, you need cleaning supplies.  You get out dust cloths, paper towels, cleaning sprays, powders, and gels, trash bags, and many others.  There are types of things to make your home spotless...new ones on the market every day.  But in your spiritual life, you don't need any new cleaner.  You don't need the latest cleaning gadget.  You need only one thing - the Bible.  The Bible is the only true source that will show you how to clean your spiritual life.  And just like any home cleaning supplies, they won't work unless you use them.  It's the same way with God's Word.  Left on the shelf, it will never help clean your spiritual life. 

 

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Let's get busy spring cleaning!