Spring Cleaning

By: Patty Joyce

Currently, I am redecorating my office/art room from a traditional style to a more shabby chic style. Thinking about it and actually doing it, is quite involved. First of all, I had to donate or sell the furniture. The desk and two matching bookshelves now reside in the home of a

friend. Before that sale took place, I had to empty the book shelves in preparation for the

new owners. Fortunately, we have a spare room that now looks like a library and a consignment shop with several books and knickknacks here and there waiting for my decision to keep, donate or sell.

In my excitement to give the room a new personality, I didn’t realize that changing, replacing, or redecorating has many layers of decision making. As we accomplish one layer, another appeared underneath it, and underneath it, and so on. Items need to be moved, furniture must look its best to appeal to a potential buyer, forgotten items appear and bring back memories, and walls will take on another color that compliments the new style.

Spring cleaning can relate to our lives as well. Over time, we create layers of judgment, envy, anger, pride, selfishness, hardness of heart, and a cluttered mind that is filled with insignificant trivia. The most important part of our personal spring cleaning, and at times, the most neglected is taking an inventory of how much or how little time, service, obedience, faithfulness and commitment we give to the Lord.

I must admit, ashamedly, and honestly, that each room of my house needs an interior decorator who can look in every nook and cranny, and without hesitation, do a complete demolition and rebuilding of my everyday life. Who better than Holy Spirit! He doesn’t expect me to do this on my own. He orchestrates the time, materials, blueprints, measurements, and crew who come

alongside twenty-four seven.

Our Spring-Cleaning manual gives all the instruction we will ever need. God’s Word is clear and clean. It attacks all of the dirty little habits that are covered by layers of dust and grime. God tells us:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you

will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" - Mat. 7:1-2

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" - Prov. 14:30

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that controls his temper than one

who takes a city" - Prov. 16:32

"A mans pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit" - Prov. 29:23

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and

anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live

according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules".

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out

of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come

from inside and defile a person.” Mark 7:5-7; 20-23

"Be still and know I am God: - Ps. 46:10

As I was entering these Scriptures, I have to admit that Holy Spirit was bringing to mind more

that needed a good cleansing; beginning with immediately replacing them with the mind of Christ for: “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

It is so easy to for us to fall into our fleshly nature, however, by the grace of God we have a

choice.

Won’t you join me in giving our houses a good Spring Cleaning? I hope you will.