“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Some people these days are busier than ever, while others have more time on their hands than they know what to do with. Regardless, it’s usually about this time of year that pictures float around Facebook of pantry transformations and closet makeovers, and we begin to hear rumblings of “spring cleaning.”
In my own mind, I’ve always considered spring cleaning to be a three-step process. What better time than now to take stock not only of the state of our homes, but also of our hearts?
Step 1: Clean
This step actually encompasses most of what we mean by “spring cleaning.” This is the stage in which we get rid of the dust, dirt, and grime covering the surfaces of our home that we may not always catch in our regular cleaning. It’s the perfect opportunity to look a little deeper. We pull out AC filters and bathroom vents, we wipe down walls and baseboards, and we get into all the nooks and crannies that we might normally miss. Spaces that were once dusty, dirty, and stale can be made sparkling, clean, and fresh with a little elbow grease.
Just like in our homes, our spirits need regular cleansing and freshening up to remove the sin, bitterness, anger, fear, and selfishness that we’ve allowed to build up over time. Once this filth is gone, our hearts are more fitting spaces for the Spirit of God to dwell in.
Step 2: Declutter
During this step, we all know to get rid of the things that we don’t need as we go through drawers, cupboards, and closets. If you don’t wear it, toss it. If you don’t use it, toss it. These may be things that aren’t necessarily dirty or unclean, but neither do they fulfill a purpose. They take up space in our homes that we could be using more efficiently.
Another mantra that has become popular recently is “Does it spark joy?” If not, we’re supposed to get rid of it. Do the contents of our hearts bring joy to God? Are we pleasing Him with our thoughts, words, and actions? If not, then it’s time to declutter and remove everything that doesn’t bring Him glory. There may be things in our lives that aren’t necessarily dirty or sinful, but if they aren’t also bringing us closer to God, now is the time to get rid of them.
Step 3: Organize
Now that we’ve removed that which would make our homes dirty and cluttered, it’s time to organize. This is the step in which we restructure our storage spaces more effectively. If we’ve gotten rid of something, we now need to make sure that the space left empty by it is being used to its fullest potential. If we had to remove something taking up extra space in our hearts, now is the time to fill that space with something that would please God.
Spring cleaning is a lot of work. We can sometimes come out of it looking like we’ve been through a battle with a dust bunny! But it’s worth it in the end, when we look around our clean, decluttered, and organized homes, and we realize that our lives are the better for it. So it is with our hearts and spirits. It is sometimes uncomfortable work to cleanse and reorganize our lives, and it is sometimes painful to remove things that we’ve become attached to; but if, as a result, we become more like what Christ would have us be, then the spring cleaning is worth it.
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Lauren Morris, GSBC Professor
Mrs. Lauren Morris is a graduate of North Valley Baptist Schools and Golden State Baptist College. She is an integral faculty member of her college alma mater and is responsible for training the next generation in the subjects of English, education, and music. Mrs. Morris is also heavily involved in the music ministry of North Valley Baptist Church and has been faithfully serving on staff for many years.
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