Cleaning Day

Ok... today is the day.

I am going to clean out Chad's room.

I have been in there only briefly the past two weeks and have yet to leave it without crying.

But... today is a new day. A beginning of sorts. 

I may turn it into a study, or a sewing room, or something... anything that doesn't resemble Chad's empty room.  

Not sure, but, for now.... I am going in!

I wish it were that easy to deal with some other areas of my life that need a good cleaning.

Like... my thoughts, my attitude, (my house, but... maybe later), my mouth.

Actually it will be much easier to spend the day in Chad's room than tackle any one of those things. 

And really, if I would clean out the junk in my heart... well that would take care of the rest of it.

God's Word tells me:

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45

I think it is interesting that God calls both the evil and the good stuff, "treasure". [Valuable or precious possessions of any kind.]

It is true. There are things that I keep in my heart, attitudes and thoughts and even memories, that are evil.

Yet I must regard them as treasure, otherwise, why are they still there?

Yeah. Guilty. 

And the unkind, unedifying, uncontrolled stuff that flies out of my mouth, has it's roots (at least) in this evil treasure. (Yuck.)

Hmmm...

So the obvious action to take is to clean it out. Remove the old, evil treasure and replace it with new. 

I suppose the kind that doesn't tarnish or get eaten by moths would be a good place to start. 

But, like everything else God wants me to do, my first inclination is to whine about how hard it is going to be.

After all, I treasure this stuff... this is gonna leave a mark.

Identifying the source of the treasure seems kinda important.

Maybe, if I can determine my motivation for saving it, I can find the path to removing it. 

I know that some of it is there just 'cause I want it there. 

Stubborn, selfish, sure.

But I fear that the farther I go, the more clearly I will see that the very bottom, the fine, thready ends of the roots, are buried in pride.

And the only antidote to that is, well, humility.

And that really is hard. 

Humility requires me to work in tandem with God's Holy Spirit, powered by God's Grace.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

I must be:

Humble enough to admit I am proud.

Humble as I approach those who I have offended, and offer my request for forgiveness... and humble as I am approached by others, granting forgiveness in kind.

Humble as I take my thoughts captive, releasing my ideas for justice, vindication, exposure, dwelling on God's abundance of Goodness, Rightness and Mercy and trusting Him to right the "wrongs" that fill my life... and mind.

Humble to admit that the source of my evil treasure is the sin that dwells within my very nature... and that I am wholly dependent on God's Grace to put that aside.

So, through prayer and the Truth of God's Word, I will do some cleaning. 

As I do, I will endeavor to reconcile relationships, replace criticism and intolerance with love and patience, and approach daily difficulties believing in the Goodness and Greatness of God's Sovereignty.

Hopefully resulting in the golden glow of the good treasure of God's glorious Grace.

And then, I should probably clean my house. :)