Spring Cleaning in the Fall

We often think of cleaning house, really giving it a good scrubbing, in the spring. I guess that’s why they call it “spring cleaning.” We take advantage of the change in season and make an effort to clean up our houses, get rid of things we no longer use, and put a new shine on what is left over. I would make the suggestion that we adopt this practice whenever the season changes, regardless of the time of year. I would also suggest that we not limit this process to just “cleaning houses” but also cleaning up and throwing out old hurts, things that just seem to stick around regardless of how many times we take the scrub brush to them. We need to present ourselves as new creations before our God and shine as bright as the sun.

We all have things that we have regretted, wishing and hoping that they would eventually fade into the deep, dark recesses of our minds never to be heard from again. Then as time goes by, these things always resurface at the worst times of our lives, kicking us when we are already on the ground. We know that there is only one way to deal with these irritating issues. We need to take them to our God, admit that we have wronged Him and others we have hurt along the way. Then we ask for His forgiveness. This sounds way to simple, but all throughout God’s Word, He tells us that we just need to bring these things to Him. He has forgiven us before we even ask. God knows the very thing that is weighing heavily on our minds right now. He is just waiting for us to bring this nagging thing to Him in prayer. Ask in earnest to be forgiven, and allow God to be God. I believe we spend too much time getting in His way. After all, He was willing to give up His son in order that our sins would be taken away, nailed to the cross with Christ.

In this day and age, we tend to spend much of our lives feeling guilty for things we know are wrong, but it seems like feeling guilty is more satisfying to us as a way of reaping well deserved blame and punishment on ourselves. Yet it’s not enough to keep us from repeating the same offense later in life. God is here with us to wait patiently, listen intently, and if it is His will, to answer our prayers. We just need to start cleaning house and throwing out old stuff we know is not in God’s plan. Getting rid of the excess baggage will be just what we need to gain the freedom to move forward.

I have made an effort to follow my own advice and I have scrubbed the closets of my mind with a strong cleaner, God’s Holy Word. This is the best stain remover for old hurts, painful memories, and things in our past that seem to just get worse as time goes on. We all could use a bit of spring cleaning this fall. Let’s break out those brooms and start sweeping. You will be surprised what you find among the dust bunnies.