Spring Cleaning: Finding Treasures Among the Trash. Colossians 3:8-10 “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”
I am a fanatic about spring cleaning. Not only do I do a spring cleaning around April or May, I did a fall cleaning this year! It seems somehow every year the attic, closets, barn and tack room pile up with junk. I dread taking on the tasks but love the feeling I get when I get all those things clean and de-junked. The shelves, closets, and drawers look neat and tidy.
Our homes are not the only things in need of a good spring-cleaning. Often our hearts also require some purging. We must be in the habit of looking deep into ourselves to rid our hearts of any thoughts, habits, or feelings that are making us dingy and dull: envy, jealousy, hatred, discontentment, impatience, unkindness, or revenge. Though these reside in our hearts, they often manifest themselves on our tongues.
When we make effort to bring our hearts to God, asking Him to do what only He can do. He will forgive our sinful attitudes and resulting actions and make our hearts new again. Then maybe we’ll be able to unearth some cherished treasures we thought were long lost: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Isn’t it time you gave your heart a good spring-cleaning?
Dear Lord, forgive me for sometimes paying more attention to cleaning my house than to cleaning my heart. Please rid my heart of anything that is displeasing to You. I give You the bucket and brushes. Make my heart fit for service to the King. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
