A thorough "Spring Cleaning" of our home is a necessary/planned "family event" in April. Each of us attacks a part of the outside; and, even though the inside is kept fairly clean all year long, there is a need for deep cleaning on the interior of the home.
The process requires a lot of work; and each member of our family "team" helping in the process. It is tiring, even physically painful work (often forget I had "those" muscles) - but the rewards feel oh so good! We all enjoy the feeling a clean home brings.
It brought to memory a little booklet I read over a handful of years ago. I was on a small women's retreat in the Mountains of Southern California and the leader brought this "treasure of" a booklet for us to go through My Heart, Christ's Home. Well worth the short time it takes to read it (many deeper things in it to meditate on); it is one you want to tuck into your nightstand (if you have one) and pull out from time to time (I know I need to).
At the time of that particular retreat, I was in a season of life that had brought an unsettled heart. I had allowed so many worldly things to creep in (the prince of this world is good at subtly "creeping" in 1 Peter 5:6-11). This booklet brought a "visual" for me as I read it.
You see, if our heart is truly Christ's Home - and He is dwelling there - we really don't want a dirty mess; this is THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS who is residing in us, and we should want it to be cob-web and dust free! Sins of omission and commission (life's dirt) have a way of creeping and settling into our homes, until we see the havoc and destruction (and even "residue") they cause us spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.
It "brought home" the necessity for my need to do a continual "house cleaning" of my heart. You see, I don't know about you but my mind often works over time - it twists, it turns, it rationalizes. There is a deep need for me to continually bring my plans, thoughts, ideas, and especially my emotions, before the throne of Christ and allow Him to sift through and direct me in the way I should go.
Once the house is clean, I want to enjoy it and just soak in the moment; it's a great feeling. You can have clean house, but not have peace and blessing in it. If you aren't in complete obedience and surrender to Christ; that peace is not there between you and Him. There is an "unsettling" - hidden dust kind of thing; or the feeling of that one item that is "out of place" when you go to put things back on the shelf. The dust returns to be even dirtier than before and over time, can cause decay.
At the completion of this years' cleaning, we held a birthday party for our youngest child. As the party began, my husband moved a portable speaker/ipod station to take outside for the guests to enjoy music. When not in use, this speaker is kept in the far corner of the living room. When he had taken the speaker from its place, a huge black dust ball appeared in front of everyone present; I was aghast with embarrassment. Ewww!
This disgusting dust ball reminded me of the booklet and the hidden sins that we "tuck/store away" in rooms of our lives....The enemy pulls them out of storage, when convenient for him, and it gives him opportunity to create disaster with our lives/witness for Christ.
It is important for me to daily follow the example of the Psalmist when he wrote:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way."
Psalm 139:23-24
You see, my heart can be deceitfully wicked. It prevents me from truly be honest with myself and the Lord about things, and can stuff them into storage:
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the LORD, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT
I can rationalize and defend my thoughts, feelings, emotions until the cows come home. The enemy enjoys helping me keep the clutter and dirt by feeding thoughts of anxiety, critical thoughts towards others, thoughts of revenge and bitterness, thoughts of despair, etc..
But God wants to keep me free and clean of these things. He wants me to continually give them over to Him as they surface, and allow Him to purge those things/thoughts/anxieties, etc. and keep me hindrance free in my relationship with Him.
I have to bring my dirt before Him and purpose to remain alert against the enemies tactics towards me; he loves to bring clutter and dirt and destruction in my relationship with Christ and others.
"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.
He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith."
1 Peter 5:8
Sometimes, I get into busy or neglectful seasons and He has to hem me in with his shepherds staff, and speak these things to me/bring them to my attention. He wants me sin free to enjoy a blessed and full relationship with Him.
"For the LORD corrects those He loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."
Proverbs 3:12
Great is His faithfulness and love towards us.
"The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness."
Psalm 103:8
I am praying to stay purposed in keeping my "prayer swiffer" in constant motion, and keep things clean (love the idea that the dirt is not only removed but "sticks" to the cloth); but I am also grateful for those moments set aside for cleaning; like coming to the Lord's table, where we are reminded to search our hearts and set things right with Him and others.
Praising Him for His process of sanctification in my life (though sometimes painful).
Here is the link for the FREE PDF of the booklet My Heart, Christ's Home:
http://seekingageneration.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/my-heart-christs-home.pdf
Photos of the Spring flowers in our front yard/pathway.
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