Time for Some Spiritual Housekeeping

When I was growing up, the adage "cleanliness is next to godliness" was drummed into my head. It was emphasized every time I seemed resistant to the idea of cleaning my room. And so, in my 10-year-old mind I was convinced that a messy bedroom got me a ticket to hell. Although I hated cleaning, I remember that afterwards I felt a great sense of pride in my accomplishment, which also resulted in tangible rewards from my parents. The more cleaning I did, the more rewards I got, and I figured it put me that much closer to God.

As an adult, I gained a much different understanding of what "cleanliness is next to godliness" actually meant, but as it turned out, when it came to my spiritual house, the outcome was still the same. The cleaner my house, the closer my relationship with the Lord grew.

Although this adage isn't scriptural, the Bible does reference cleaning as a spiritual act. It's what Jesus did for us on the Cross through His atonement for our sins. God loves us all, no matter how clean and tidy, or how messy our lives appear to be on the outside. That's good news for those who may be lacking in the spiritual housekeeping department. The better news is that Jesus takes our dirty houses, aka lives, and "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Spiritual house cleaning isn't always pleasant or easy, but it is absolutely necessary. And just like with our physical houses, there are a number of ways to get the cleaning accomplished. But it can't happen unless Jesus guides the effort. Spiritual house cleaning can be done either from the inside out; from top to bottom; or from back to front. The best approach utilizes the first two methods. Here's why.

Cleaning from the inside out gives you a clean heart. Cleaning from top to bottom gives you a renewed mind. Although cleaning from back to front also works, sometimes this method focuses too much of your efforts on the past, trying to clean up things that are already behind you.

Psalm 51:10 is good to remember when cleaning your spiritual house from the inside out. King David asked the Lord to "create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a right spirit in me." Because we are all born as sinners, our natural inclination is towards sin. We must ask the Lord to cleanse us from within, and to clear our hearts and spirit for new thoughts and desires. Right behavior can only come from a clean heart and spirit, which comes from God.

When cleaning your spiritual house from top to bottom, the Apostle Paul provided some good advice in Romans 12:2. He told Christians "not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Our sinful nature usually drives us towards worldly behavior, and even worse — worldly values. When the Holy Spirit renews, re-educates, and re-directs our minds, we truly become transformed.

Paul also gave sound advice for cleaning your spiritual house from back to front. He wrote in Philippians 3:13–15 "one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." We have all done things in our past for which we are ashamed, but because our hope is in the Lord, we can let go of what's behind us and look forward to what God will help us become. In the Lord we are "new creations" and "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1).

The house — your house — is God's temple. Ask the Lord to help you get it clean: trust the Lord to help you keep it clean.