Cleaning House

I swept.

I dusted.

I vacuumed.

I mopped.

I washed.

I polished.

I folded.

I put away.

I did everything – the house was a mess, and I went on a serious cleaning spree.

I fluffed pillows.

I moved furniture.

I straightened out rugs. And, I swatted at cobwebs in the corners.

I spent an entire day getting my house in order.

I bleached.

I Pine-soled.

I Windexed.

I really went through this place. Then, I relaxed.

I lit a candle. I read. I did some writing. I did some Bible study, and I just reveled in what a good job I’d done cleaning my house. It was an emotional high. Every time I left, I anticipated returning: I’d fling the door open and see my nice, neat house.

It was truly a moment to exhale.

Days passed, and I just kept rejoicing in my clean house. I’d eat, fling the dishes in the sink and think about how well I cleaned the place – a few days ago. I dropped clothes in the floor and thought about how well I’d worked - a few days ago. I did my make-up, left stuff lying about and just kept thinking of the wonder cleaning I’d given my house – a few days ago.

Well, a week passed and I realized something.

The cleaning I gave my house a week ago did nothing for today. If I wanted a clean house, I had to maintain it everyday. I have to wash dishes – everyday. I have to vacuum – everyday. I have to hang up my clothes – everyday.

Or, I’ve got a mess on my hands again.

So it is with our souls.

Often, we run to God and the word in crisis. We wait until everything’s a complete mess before we seek to get our spiritual lives in order. Then, we’re praying fervently. We’re laid out crying, looking for scripture. We want everybody to pray with us. And, it’s during that time that we don’t miss a church service.

Then, things calm down – and slowly we return to our old habits.

The Bible goes untouched. We’re working late, so we can’t make bible study. We need to rest, so church isn’t that important.

Next thing we know, we’re in another spiritual mess – thinking that the last prayer, Bible study or church sermon was enough to carry you through.

Nope.

Our spirits require daily feedings of God’s word. A Sunday sermon isn’t enough to feed us all week long. We’ve got to eat the Word, chew it up, digest it and let it nourish us. Otherwise our spirits become a malnourished mess. And we look up one day and don’t know how we got there.
In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of my father who sent me and finish his work.”

Food is a daily requirement.

We have to eat to live, and we do it daily – three, four, five times a day. So it is with our spirits. When we pray without ceasing as the Bible instructs us to, we’re cleaning out our souls and allowing Him to fill us up with His will.

When we meditate on the word day and night as the Bible instructs, we’re vacuuming out the flesh – our will, our ways, and our own faulty wisdom - and replacing it with God’s truth.
Then, when the enemy attacks – marital problems, work issues, children acting up, family falling apart, health failing, money’s tight, church folk getting on our nerves – we’re already strengthened for the fight.

Folks, let’s keep our spiritual lives in order so that the chaos and clutter of this world doesn’t catch us unawares – and we find ourselves in another mess.

Let’s clean our hearts, minds and spirits daily with the Word of God, the Bible, and perhaps the next battle won’t require so much strain and stress.

Know that I love you each, L.