Clean Heart

 

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 7:20-23

 

 

There are a lot of women coming to my house tomorrow. I am hosting a baby shower for a friend. Today, I cleaned, and cleaned some more.

Because there are more people coming than I can seat comfortably on my regular living room furniture I had to rearrange some things. I rearranged dining room chairs and moved in some folding chairs so all will be able to see and delight in each gift as the guest of honor opens them!

Moving the furniture was eye opening. It really showed me what needed to be cleaned! There were parts of one wall I hadn’t seen since we moved in here eight months ago. Dust bunnies had multiplied back there. Before I had seen them they didn’t bother me, but once I saw them I had to add some work to the load. I didn’t want to leave it for someone else to see!

The cleaning is finished and I am able to relax. There is great peace for me when my house is clean, I can’t explain it but it “feels” good to have it done. I can admire how nice it looks for a time but I know that if I don’t stay after it – soon it will be dirty again – especially in places I don’t clean on a regular basis.

Today I was reminded that I should not wait until I’m having company to move the furniture and check behind it for dust and dirt. I need to keep a watchful eye on it so that it doesn’t get too bad before I discover it.

In many ways the messes we carry around with us in our hearts are like this. If we avoid looking at it the mess can get pretty big before we see it for what it really is. It can be something little like adding a big bag of chips to the grocery cart this week and next week thinking that was pretty nice to have around and we do it again until we have an extra five pounds on our bodies. It can be subtler like going to a business event and meeting a man who flirts a little and we walk away flattered. But the next time we meet him we’re checking our make-up or wearing the blouse he complimented. Maybe we even look for reasons to call his company for the chance we might get to talk to him.

We do this with other things like spending money and spending time and others areas of discipline that we let slide because we just aren’t paying attention.

STOP! Check the grocery cart. Check the heart! Check the wallet! Check the time! Look behind all the normally well placed behaviors that may be hiding some small act that is leading down the wrong path. It’s much more difficult to clean up when it has been allowed to get really messy. Catch it while it’s still a little mess and it will easily be swept away.

God tells us in Proverbs 4:26-27 to ponder the path we are taking so that our ways will be sure. He says do not swerve to the right or to the left but to turn our foot from evil. This is something He gives us to do. We must be looking for the dirt – the evil – and not swerve onto the path that goes down that road. He will cleanse our hearts – but only for those who will look for the dirt and repent before Him….and then check to see if it’s there again next week.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

A clean heart feels even better than a clean house!