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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