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Spring! Everything is so new, fresh, and bursting with life. It's a great time, but it's also the time for that dreaded event – spring-cleaning!
Does anyone actually do spring-cleaning anymore? It seems like a lost art. My husband's grandmother knew what it meant and she did it right. She took everything out of closets and drawers, and thoroughly cleaned everything. She would actually get rid of half of the stuff!
That process sounds good to some and terrifying to others, yet probably everyone would agree that the fresh clean sent and the sense of order was a beautiful accomplishment! It was worth all the work!
But is there something more to this concept of spring-cleaning? Is there a spiritual meaning? Do not only our homes, but our hearts need spring-cleaning? What needs to be uncluttered from your heart?
The Jewish women at Passover, a very significant holiday, turned the house upside down to find any leaven or dirt and thoroughly cleaned their homes. Why? Leaven represents sin and God cannot fellowship with sin. The house must be swept clean in order for God's presence to dwell there. Wow what a lesson!
David cries in Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” In Psalm 32 he cries, “Blessed is the man who sin is covered.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Is there anything blocking your fellowship with God?
In his book, My Heart, Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd paints a picture of Jesus wanting sweet fellowship with us. In the story, Jesus promises to study with the Christian, to dine with him, have recreation with him, and just enjoy time with him each and every day.
At first the Christian is so excited, but soon finds himself too busy and neglects his daily time with Jesus. One day he runs past a room on his way out and sees Jesus there, faithfully waiting for him. He is so convicted and promises to meet with Jesus daily. But Jesus also wants to clean and redecorate, to which the man willingly agrees. After Jesus sets up the way the house it should be, the man is amazed and loves the beauty and the clean fresh scent, until one day they smell something foul coming from the closet. To that, Jesus says I really can't live in a house with that smell – I'll have to move out. Jesus asks him, “Did you give me every room in your home?”
The man said, “Well there is one closet but I didn't think you’d mind since I gave you everything else.” Jesus tells him, “Just let me have that closet and I will clean that out too.” Trembling, the man hands over the key to that one last part he kept for himself. Once Jesus cleaned it out, what a fresh smell! The man wondered, “Why did I wait so long?!”
Is there any place in your life that you need to give to Jesus? Is there a fresh fragrance coming from your life, or is it a stench of sin?
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
If Jesus Came to Your House
by Lois Blanchard Eades
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two -
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best,
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there -
That serving Him in your own home is joy beyond compare.
But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word?
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read,
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go?
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends?
Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do
If Jesus Christ in person came to spend some time with you.
We would see Jesus,
Karen Pulley
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