A Clean House
By Susan Klein
“ I pray that out of His glorious riches He
may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
It’s still winter in Wisconsin, but I’m getting a jump-start on
my spring-cleaning. I’ve never been a lover of chores, but I do love a clean
house. I’m talking deep clean! You know, the kind of clean where you
actually move the furniture to vacuum, clean the cobwebs off the chandeliers,
wipe down baseboards, clean out the washing machine tub, organize closets…you
get the picture. It’s a daunting task, but the end results are so gratifying.
I think, being created in the image of God, we were all wired
with a certain desire for order. We delight in a sense of peaceful completeness
when things are set aright. Perhaps you are familiar with the old adage
(attributed by many to John Wesley), “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” While
some claim it to be a literal interpretation, noting “clean” and “unclean”
references in Scripture, I think there is a deeper meaning we can take away
from this proverb.
When our hearts and minds are cluttered with unnecessary things,
it can cloud our vision and distract us from what we really need to focus on.
When our hearts are cleaned/set right before God, we have the opportunity to be
in a closer relationship with Him. In his (older, yet still applicable) work,
My Heart Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd Munger speaks of making our hearts an
inhabitable abode of the Lord. Munger walks through the rooms of his heart with
God, one by one, and allows God to highlight what cleansing work needs to be
done there to make it a suitable dwelling place. God does not expect him to do
all the work himself. On the contrary, He promises the Holy Spirit will do the
work in him. (You can read this short essay and learn of the rooms of your
heart below). (1)
Being at peace and having a semblance of order in our lives are
things we all desire. If we can make time to deep clean the rooms of our homes,
how much more at peace might we be if we are willing to invest time in giving
the Holy Spirit access to our hearts, and allow Him to do a sanctifying purge
of all that is unnecessary?
Are you ready for a little cleaning?
GOING DEEPER:
1. Read the pdf below and contemplate the “rooms of your heart.”
2. Spend some time in prayer asking God to show you which
“rooms” need cleaning. Be willing to let the Holy Spirit do His work!
FURTHER READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and co-leads an
in-home small group. She serves as a mentor to young women, and is a member of
Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work through conflict.
