Spring Cleaning My Spiritual Closet

I mentioned Monday that I would be spring cleaning our closets this week. Cleaning the boys' room brought flashbacks of cleaning my brother's room when we were kids. I still say 10 year old boys stink. But they're incredibly cool at the same time!

While cleaning the closets of our physical home, I couldn't help but consider my need to spring clean my spiritual closet. It's a good thing to take an annual or semi-annual look at the inward parts of one's self. Because we're still a part of this earthly realm, we attract the dust of sin. Sometimes it sticks to us. Sometimes it blows away when we open the door of our heart to Jesus' broom. Either way, I like to take moments to inventory the contents of my heart. 

The following are a few suggestions for cleaning out our spiritual closets:

1. 1 Samuel 16:7b - "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I can put my hair up, cover my face with make-up, and put on my Sunday best. I can go to church looking pulled together on the outside. But I might have had a disagreement with my husband prior to leaving the house. And I might be stewing over it in my heart. My insides might be burning with frustration and disappointment. Only God and my husband and I would know that, though. And that's when I need to clean out the acid that burns in me. Because God requires it of me if I'm to bring an offering of praise to Him during worship.

2. Proverbs 20:30 -"Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart." How many times do we get offended by something our husband, mother, or best friend tells us? We call it nagging, butting into our business, or talking down to us, like we don't know better. The problem is, we do know better. And we know their words are closer to the truth than we want to admit to ourselves. Their blows hurt. But, if we allow them to sink in, they might just help. We need to let Jesus into our hearts, just the same. It's by His stripes that we are healed. And it's the love of others that drives them to correct us when we're wrong or in sin.

3.  Psalm 51:17 - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart - These, O God, You will not despise." There have been numerous times in my life when I've tried to give something up in the name of sacrifice. Or I've fasted for something selfish. The problem is, I did these out of my own free will, not out of a call or desire to be closer to Jesus. My pride was up. My heart was in the wrong place. And I felt farther away from God, not closer to Him. When I allow myself to get real with God, to reveal my heart's desires to Him and allow Him to work in my life, I can always feel His presence. It's when I walk in my own strength that I wonder where He is. My heart needs to break before Him, not try to fix itself. 

I'll still be cleaning things out next week. It's not an overnight process for me to get the house or my heart clean. It takes time. But when the job is complete, things certainly look brighter! Monday I'll be posting about the things I've found hiding in my spiritual closet. It's an honest, transparent look into my life. Please join me then. But in the meantime, what scriptures have you found to help in cleaning out your spiritual closet? Please share your thoughts with us!

Photo courtesy of BrachAnam9  
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/137568