Heart Inspection: Clean Your House

I remember growing up in a place that required inspections. I used to hate them because I knew that my mom and I would be up all night making sure that the house was clean. I understood that everything had to be just right before the apartment manager came in to make sure that things were how they needed to be, so I got to cleaning. I had two methods of cleaning depending on my mood. I had a lazy way of making everything appear spotless and I had a thorough way of cleaning that I learned from my father and grandmother.

When I was in my lazy mood, I just stuffed everything into closets and under the bed because I knew that no one would look there. It produced great results and we passed the inspections. When I cleaned the way that I observed my father cleaning, I would make sure that everything was how it needed to be. I eventually began to dislike things under the bed and I got into the habit of cleaning out my closet. These results also produced great outcomes that I didn’t have to pay for later by having to go back and clean it up.

When it comes to cleaning our houses, we cannot be lazy because there are some messes that we will have to go back and clean up later. I remember a time when one particular manager came to do inspection in our home. He was not playing with us and he checked closets! I thought that I had cleaned my closet in a satisfactory fashion, but he judged the amount of shoes that I had and they eventually had to go into storage. The manager implied that my excess belongings had the possibility of producing rodents and had to go. We look at our hearts and underestimate the fact that the excess waste that we have in them can produce rodents and other things that we do not want. We store and we hoard until someone with fresh eyes comes in and tells us that we need to remove those things that we cherish so much. I hated losing my shoes. I wanted to know where they were and I liked to have options, but if we wanted a place to stay, they had to go.

If you really want Jesus, somethings in your life have to go. We like the option of being able to sin, but God is calling us to be holy as He is holy. How can God give us more if we are so bent on holding on to things and people that He is calling us away from? It’s time to do a thorough cleaning of our hearts. The ultimate manager is doing inspection and our closets have to be clean. No more hiding, no more saying “I’ll do it later”; we have to do it now.

As a child, I understood the concept of masking trash by being lazy, but I also understood the concept of cleaning my house from the inside out. I used to start under the beds and in the closets before I cleaned the rest of the house because that’s where my junk was. As an adult, I now understand that gaining the approval of God starts from the inside out also. 1 Samuel 16: 7 tells that “the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (ESV). You might have a great couch and a big tv, but God checks closets also when He comes by your dwelling place to visit. Today let’s commit to getting our whole house in order, starting with the closets.

Lord I thank you for being concerned about the areas of my life that no one else can see but you. I pray that you teach me to come before you with a clean heart, hiding nothing. I pray to welcome you into my house to search it as you please and I pray to stand before you with all humility and thankfulness instead of the weights of my past. Lord, please do a new work in me, In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Reminder: I pray in Jesus name that each of you knows that God loves you and that He is faithful to do a new work in you. The blessing of Christ is that He does not give up on us. You were created in His image so that is one of the many indicators that you are not junk. Release the weights and heaviness of your life to Him and He is faithful to deliver you. Amen

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” (Revelation 21:5).

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