July 4th blog post

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

spring clean·ing

spriNG ˈklēniNG/

noun

noun: spring clean; plural noun: spring cleans; noun: spring cleaning; plural noun: spring cleanings

1. 1.

   a thorough cleaning of a house or room, typically undertaken in spring.

I've had my fair share of "spring" cleanings over the years.  For months I will live with the mindless accumulation of clutter and mess comfortably by my side without thought, care, or issue.  It all becomes a part of my house that I am used to dwelling in.   Then one day, usually when the Sun starts to shine bright through my windows and I throw open those windows for a fresh breeze to blow that, I look around the house and realize I have let clutter and mess slowly grow around me where it doesn't belong and with things I don't really want or need lying around.  I take an inventory, make my list (remember last week???)  and set to work with focus, determination, and a wholehearted mindset to get to work and not give up until everything that needs to be cleaned out is.

The young King of Judah, Josiah, did some spiritual spring cleaning in the land God entrusted to him as well as in his own life.  For years Judah (as well as Israel) had let the idolatry of pagan lands creep in and set up a place in their land and hearts.  Pagan gods were given a home right next to the alter of God (the very place the LORD said he would make his home and live among His people), high places had been built, priest of Baal had been commissioned, Asherah poles had been made and weavers of Asherah hired, shrine prostitutes had been built sleeping quarters, articles had been created to honor the starry hosts, shrines at the city gates had been erected, horses and chariots had been dedicated to the sun, alters had been set up to make sacrifices to pagan gods, mediums and spiritists had taken the place of the prophets of the LORD.  The spiritual clutter and mess in Judah was significant and had become a normal part of life along side the LORD.

Then one day a book is found, the Book of the Law, and for first time King Josiah's heart is hit with the truth of God's word and his eyes are open to see the clutter and mess of sin that has been allowed to make it's home in his land and in his heart.  He wastes no time.  He shares these truths that have been revealed to him with others and then sets out to clean up the clutter and mess, to remove the sin and it's stench completely (no trace to be left behind).  He doesn't just remove he also adds, restores.  For the first time in decades (I think centuries is more like it) he has the people observe the Passover, to remember the God who saved them from their physical slavery at a time when their hearts had become a slave to their sins and clutter. 

I too can sit in the clutter, mess, and sin in my life, blind to it, comforted by it.  My heart, which I dedicated and gave to the Lord as his, often pushes him aside to make room for other things that fill my time and attention.  Work, working out, entertainment, Internet, social media, ministry,  general busyness, other people, and sometimes nothing at all just laziness are a few of the things I can let take a place in my heart that was meant for, that was dedicated to the LORD.  These spiritual clutters, and others (as well as unrepented sins), prevent me from living the wholehearted life I wrote about last week.

King Josiah was a wholehearted man.  2 Kings 23:25 tells us that when the word of the lord struck his heart and he did a spiritual spring cleaning he lived the rest of his life, "with all his heart and with all his soul, and with all his strength..." (also found in the book of the Law that he read, in Deuteronomy 6:5).

Again, I am reminded this week of the importance, the necessity of reading God's word every single day.  I can not read it just to check it off my to do list.  I need to ask the Lord to show me, to give me wisdom, to help me see new things in it each day that will grow me.  I need the LORD to use his word to reveal to me, to give me eyes to see those things that I have let set up a home in my heart and life which distract me from him or get in the way of my wholehearted living for the LORD.  Then the hardest part is doing the clean up, is removing them from my life with no trace left.  I can't store some things to bring out later and that is where the clean up becomes very difficult.  But I am on a journey toward wholehearted living and this is a step, an eye opening reminder that it is not an easy journey but it is one that is so very worth it.  I am also not on this journey alone.  The LORD is with me and he can be my strength if I ask him to help me (Phil 4:13).

My challenge this week is to start the spiritual spring cleaning toward wholehearted living. 

What is the Lord showing you is the spiritual clutter in your heart?  Are you ready and willing to start the cleaning process to help you move closer to wholehearted living?  Don't be so quick to pass this question by, sometimes the things we have lived with the longest are the hardest ones to recognize as needing to go.  The hardest ones to say goodbye to.