Today’s weather forecast for our neck of the woods calls for sunny and 68°. It looks like spring is here and it’s time for that annual ritual of spring cleaning. We’ll empty rooms of all their contents, wash curtains, scrub baseboards, vacuum the floors, sift through accumulated clutter, throwing things away, giving things away, preparing for a yard sale (yuk!), and placing back in the room only what is essential, now all spick and span. This is a process, not an event, and not for the weak of heart.
Just as we have a physical house-cleaning there are also traditions of spiritual “house-cleaning”. New Year’s is a time re-evaluating and making changes. The Christian season of Lent has and element of searching out any “un-confessed sin”, and repenting (turning away). Likewise the Jewish Passover begins with searching out any leaven (yeast) in the house and getting rid of it—the leaven being a symbol of anything unholy. There is a need to do regular “spiritual spring cleaning”, to allow God to search us and see if there are any destructive habits. We need to determine if there is any point at which we have believed Satan’s lies and allowed any enemy strongholds to be established in our lives.
King David said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalms 139:23-24)
In the New Testament we are instructed to, “come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:8-10)
Why not take some time today to be still and ask God to search and cleanse you, and let Him do a little spiritual spring-cleaning in your soul? Like our spring cleaning, this too is a process, not an event, and not for the weak of heart.
~ Father, search me and see if there is anything in me that is not pleasing to You. Give me the courage and trust to let You change me to be what You dream me to be. Amen.
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