Spring Cleaning

 

Dear readers,

Warm and windy describes last Saturday. The forecast for the week ahead is for warmer temps, but the rain chances are slim. Don’t give up praying for rain!

 

Spring is the time for cleaning up homes, yards, neighborhoods and many other venues. Have you ever considered it would be a good thing to do some spiritual house cleaning after a long winter? Spring would be a good time for us to take inventory of our spiritual condition and get rid of the things that impede our witness.

 

Think about it. Are there sins we have overlooked over the winter? Maybe we have become lazy about spending time in God’s Word. We can be so busy that important things are neglected. Is there a relationship that needs healing, maybe forgiveness that has been denied? Perhaps your church attendance has slipped during the winter months. I’m sure I could name other areas in our lives that could use some spring cleaning.

 

Probably the first order of business would be to ask the Lord to reveal the parts of our lives that need spring cleaning. The Holy Spirit is good at convicting us of those areas that have become cluttered by neglect or willful disobedience to the Word.

 

David, after his sin with Bathsheba confessed his sin to the Lord with this request. “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

 

John wrote the following: If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).

 

So, this spring cleaning from a spiritual perspective requires that we must admit that we are sinners, confess our sins to the Lord, turn away from the sin and turn back to the Lord. Realize that you are responsible for your own actions.

 

God’s word says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

 

That way out is the Lord Jesus. He is the one who gives us the strength to overcome our sins, to get right with God, and live a clean life.

 

Trusting Him,

Pastor Jerry