OceanSide church of Christ

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TIME FOR SPRING CLEANING

Victor M. Eskew

 

            For some reason, spring is the time for cleaning the house and yard.  We refer to it as “Spring Cleaning.”  During the course of a year, things get dirty, out of order, and piled up around the house.  Prettier weather makes individuals want to clean up, organize, and get rid of things around the house.

            Since, it is the time of year for Spring Cleaning, maybe each of needs to take a look at our spiritual house.  In I Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul states:  “What!  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  Each Christian can view his body and the life that he leads as a house.  It is a spiritual house.  It is designed for more than secular pursuits.  It is designed to bring glory to God.  Our spiritual houses are much like our personal houses.  They need to be cleaned up from time to time.  So, maybe it is time for some Spring Cleaning.
            Over the course of time, we have a tendency to collect things in our home.  Some of the things we collect become “junk.”  Junk consists of things that we no longer need or that are no longer useful to us.  Junk just takes up a lot of space.  We may sell our junk at a yard sale or donate it to Goodwill.  We know that we need to get rid of it.  In our spiritual lives, there are things that we need to cast out.  It could be sin, or bad habits, or a bad relationship.  In the opening verse of Hebrews 12, the writer exhorts us, saying:  “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”  James, the brother of our Lord, gives us a similar admonition in James 1:21.  “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” 

            In our homes, things often get out of order over time.  We are busy and we throw things here and there.  We intend to put them in the right place, but never get around to it.  When we do our Spring Cleaning, we get things organized again.  We put things in their rightful place.  Our spiritual lives can also get “out of order” in time.  The less important become the important.  The urgent takes the place of the essential.  Our wants come before the things of God.  Thus, when we do our Spring Cleaning, we have to put order back into our spiritual lives.  As we do, we keep in mind such passages as Colossians 3:1-2.  “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”  As we live our lives, the here and now becomes more important than the then and there.  It is imperative that we take some time and restore the right order to our lives.  Jesus counsels us in this matter in Matthew 6:33.  “But see ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

            When we do Spring Cleaning at home, we really do some deep cleaning.  We dust.  We wash.  We scrub.  We sweep.  We mop.  We make the inside and outside of our homes like new again.  We need to do the same thing when we clean our spiritual homes.  We have a tendency to put things to the side and they collect dust and need to be cleaned.  It may be that we need to get the dust off our Bibles.  We had good intentions of studying more, but we have not.  We need to clean the dust off, open the cover of our Bible, and begin to diligently read and study its divine contents (II Tim. 2:15).  We might need to clean out our prayer closets as well.  Again, we believe in prayer and intend to pray, but others things often get in our way.  Before we know it, our prayer closet becomes a dusty, musty mess.  We need to open it up, clean it out, get in, close the door, and pray fervently to our heavenly Father (Matt. 6:6).

            When individuals get involved in Spring Cleaning, they clean the house from top to bottom.  It is not just a cleaning of the floors and carpets.  The one cleaning looks at the ceiling, the crown molding, the lights, and the ceiling fans.  All of the dust and cobwebs in these places are removed.  In like manner, we may need to reach into the upper parts of our house and do some cleaning.  There are times when the cobwebs of opinions, earthly principles and false teachings clutter our minds.  If they are not removed, they begin to take over our thinking processes.  Paul’s instructions in II Corinthians 10:5-6 are worthy of implementation.  “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”

            Spring Cleaning is difficult work.  It means the investment of a lot of strength and several hours of toil.  However, when it is finished, a person looks at his/her house with a sense of satisfaction.  The same is true when a person cleans his spiritual house.  It requires an investment of time and work.  When it is done, the individual will look at his/her spiritual life with great satisfaction.  Sadly, some never get around to Spring Cleaning their house.  They allow the dirt, and filth, and clutter, and junk to remain.  The same is true of the spiritual lives of some Christians.  Don’t let this be you.  Set aside some time.  Do that Spring Cleaning.  You will be glad you did!