Housecleaning and sin

This week my girls are away at camp and I am trying to be diligent to take care of those little (or not so little) housecleaning jobs that I have been putting off. You know the ones... reorganizing the cupboards so you can actually know what in the world is up there or wiping down a rolling laundry cart (YUK!), hemming curtains that have been hung unhemmed for longer than I want to admit, cleaning the grout in the kitchen, and on and on. Since I am alone, I find that I am thinking without interruption - for the most part. Today my thoughts wandered to the comparison between housecleaning and sin as I was wiping down my kitchen surfaces. When I got to the sill between my kitchen and living room, the amount of dust was, well, graffiti material! As I moved things to clean the built up dust I began to ponder how things can build up in my heart. Then I started to clean the grout... more build up there. Funny how I didn't notice the build up because it happened gradually. Hmmm.... what things have been building up in my heart that I haven't noticed because it has been happening so gradually?

As I moved the mixer, blender, and fruit bowl I found those hidden areas were in need of a good cleaning. What could be compared to those hidden places? I thought of hidden sins like resentment, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, jealousy, self-pity, anger just to name a few. The interesting thing about hidden sins is that they don't stay hidden - just move something or change something and POW! Out pops the "hidden sin" knocking over whomever happens to be in it's path at that moment. It's kind of like the closet that everyone crams stuff into and then quickly closes the door. "Don't open it!" you warn, "We'll never get it shut again!" Someone didn't get the memo and opens it only to be taken out by years of stuff tumbling down on their head! Then you mutter to yourself, "Someday I've got to clean out that closet."

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flows the springs of life."

Our hearts can very well be like that closet if we are not diligent to watch over them. All of that clutter and stuff are things that are out of place, unneeded, sometimes useless; stuff that creates visual confusion, frustration, and overwhelming feelings. Why do we do that? Why do we stuff those things in a closet or cupboard or under a bed only to have to avoid them again and again? It reminds me of the proverbial elephant under the rug... you can only ignore it for so long before someone trips over it.

I John 1:9 reminds us that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Let's consider doing a little spiritual housecleaning today - as we do let's remember:

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
"They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
" 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.'
"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him."
Lamentations 3:23-25