Spring Cleaning

With the flu and stomach virus germs recently in our house, I found myself cleaning away while home with Presley last week. Windows were raised, hoping to let the fresh air in and the old, stale air out. I did the general cleaning at first - bathrooms, bedrooms, washing sheets, kitchen, appliances, dusting, sweeping, mopping. I cleared away some clutter that had been on the table for a while. Overall, the house looked pretty good and if someone would have come over, they would have probably thought so too, at first glance. Then the "spring cleaning" fever hit. I quickly noticed that what had appeared clean with just a walkthrough was actually dirtied with fingerprinted door frames and baseboard dust-bunnies. As I began to wipe and wash, I was led around on my knees, wall after wall, trying to wipe away the grit and grime. Mr. Clean could have helped me out with one of his "Magic Erasers!" Several spots would not come off, and really just need to be covered with a fresh coat of paint.

Sometimes I think I do a pretty fair job of cleaning up the dirt in my life. I walk around looking spiffy and shiny, when I should take a closer look. I would see the handprints of hurts and the stains of sin that go undetected on the frames of my heart sometimes. Instead, I get use to the "clean" me, or what I think is clean. What's really there goes unnoticed by not only myself but also others.

When I am wanting to thoroughly clean my house, I have to get down on my knees to get all those places that are hard for me and others to see. An open door that I never look behind will gather dust within a few days. It then begins to collect there. The same is true in my life. If I do not regularly go to those places of my heart, daily cleaning and confessing, the "dust" will accumulate. 

As I was vacuuming a rug tonight using the attachments, I found myself on my knees. I was reminded of my cleaning last week- funny how in less than a week there I was again. It actually could be done everyday. Yes, I could have just run the vacuum over the whole rug, but I wanted it to be really clean. 

I am not saying that we have to be on our knees in order for our confession to be sincere. However, I know that many times I have laid in bed, voicing my "bedtime" prayers, and end up falling asleep. Or I may be driving down the road and say a prayer, and then get sidetracked but feel "good" that I prayed at all. But in those moments, which I have to admit do not come often enough, that I have found myself on my knees, my heart is humbled and I am brought face to face with the dirt and filth in my life. It is there that I realize the stains can't come off with my own doing. It is only by being covered by the blood of Christ that my heart is made new. I must daily confess so that He is able to clean away the dust so that it does not collect upon my heart. 


James 4:7-10 - The Message

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.