The first warm days of spring are energizing. You open up the windows after a long winter and air out the house. Then you look around and see the dust, the winter piles of books, the piles of papers that need filed, the dirt on the garage floor and know a good spring cleaning is in order. So you roll up your sleeves and get to work. After all is done, the house smells fresh and sparkles. It just makes you feel content and satisfied. We need to do the same for our spiritual house. Spring cleaning for your soul isn’t just an option, it is necessary to continue to grow in our faith, and declutter our lives from the piles of this world.
Just as our physical house needs constant upkeep, so does our spiritual house. I have a tendency to read a book and then deposit it on the end table rather than put it back in the book shelf. In no time, my end table has a pile of books and magazines, that not only needs to be put away, but also have collected a layer of dust. The same happens to my spiritual life. I get caught up in whatever project I’m working on and my spiritual spurts of growth get piled up with a layer of dust on them. I need to stop and take the time to reflect on how I’m giving my time and talents to God.
…I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12: 1 & 2
Paul, urged by the Holy Spirit, wrote to the Romans concerning spiritual service of worship. He knew that the world easily creeps in to our lives and we need to take stock of our actions and thoughts. We need to live a pure life which means we need to actively reflect on what God’s purpose for our lives is, and are we walking along His path. We need to revisit the map God has given us and make sure we aren’t straying off on a side road.
In order to make sure we are living a pure life, we need to be in constant prayer. We need to honestly ask God to help us see where we have let the world influence our lives in a way that is not holy. Then comes the hard part. Once God has shown us where the dust lies, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to the business of spring cleaning that area of our lives.
The good news is, we don’t have to do it ourselves. The Holy Spirit will come along side us and give us a hand. This doesn’t mean, it will be easy. If God has shown you an area of your life in which you have an entrenched sin, it will take time, and many scrubbings to make clean – like my utility room floor. However, just as you know that each time you mop that floor, it gets cleaner, have faith, that the Holy Spirit is mopping the sin right out of your life.
However, spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning up the winter dirt, it is also about planting pots and a garden and preparing for summer. Here in Northern Michigan, on the lake, this includes putting the dock and boat lift back in the water, dewinterizing the boat, bringing out the lawn furniture and uncovering the grill. When we are spring cleaning our soul, we need to not only focus on cleaning out the dirt, but also working on the positive aspects of our lives and being productive for Christ. This is where we prove what the will of God is, that is good and acceptable and perfect.
In order to do this, we need to develop behavior that is Christ-like. We need to ask God for opportunities to help others and in so doing, give God the glory. Paul, again, writing to the church in Rome, tells us exactly how we are to act towards others.
Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK….” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21
As we are spring cleaning our souls, we need to take account of how we are preparing ourselves and others for eternity. In a way, it’s like changing out the family pictures in the frames and the pillows on the sofa. We are changing behavior that isn’t Christ-like for behavior that is. We need to start looking at the needs of others before our own. If everyone lived as Paul writes above, what a wonderful world we would live in. As we are spring cleaning our souls, we take a step closer to how life will be in Heaven.
Here’s to dusting our our souls!
