A Cleaned Heart
January 11, 2022
We had just returned from visiting my in-laws over Christmas break, and after all our unpacking I was ready to put all the washed clothes into the boys’ closet. As I stepped into that small space, I immediately felt overwhelmed with the number of clothes, toys and books that needed to be cleaned out and reorganized. Standing there with a million new to-dos staring back at me, I decided today was not the day to deal with that mess. I’ll do that Monday, I thought. Monday came, and I looked at the chaos again… and decided Saturday would be better. My pattern of procrastination was delaying what I needed to do to get that closet back in order.
The thing is, every time I clean their closet, I feel tons better. But all too often, my dread at the idea of doing it keeps me from getting started.
Closets can get messy and disorganized, so there’s a need to clean them out regularly, donating items we don’t need or wear anymore. As we slowly start adding to our wardrobe and accumulating things, the mess tends to return pretty quickly, and in the space of a few months it needs attention once again. It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s also a fantastic feeling to see a newly decluttered space.
As I thought about this chore, I couldn’t help but make a connection between the closet and our hearts. Over time, if our heart is unguarded, it’s all too easy to allow bitterness, frustration, selfishness and unforgiveness to take root without even realizing it. All this ‘clutter,’ left untended, can build up and grow out of control. Sometimes we just want to look away from the mess and ignore it, never feeling the need to confess or work through our heart issues with the Lord. And our blind spots may be visible to others even if we choose not to look inside.
We’ve all experienced the process of letting our guard down and allowing a mess into our hearts, and we know they need cleaning regularly. But in this case we can’t do it alone. We need to partner with God and His Spirit. Spending intentional time with the Lord gives Him the opportunity to reveal any areas that need to be improved or changed, so we can repent and continue to be transformed in His image.
Our experience with heart clutter might take any of these forms:
The hustle of life distracts us from spending time with God, so we don’t see Him shining a light on the mess in our hearts that needs attention. Psalms 51:10 (CSB) says “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.”
God may have revealed an area where we hide away things that don’t belong, but we haven’t taken the time to cleanse our hearts in obedience. We still need to go through the process of removing the mess with the help of the Holy Spirit.
In a similar fashion, we go in with the intention of following through, but when we actually examine the mess, it feels like a mountain that’s too steep to climb right away. We decide to wait, delaying the necessary work ahead of us.
Just like when we clean our closets, we feel better when the junk is gone from our hearts and what remains is organized. We’ve made room not for more stuff, but for more of Him! How wonderful to clear space in our hearts and lives for our Heavenly Father.
When I allow God to reveal the mess in my heart, it can be painful to see areas I didn’t know were an issue. But cleaning out our hearts is a beautiful process, bringing us closer to Him and giving His kingdom a bigger place in our broken world.
Dear Heavenly Father,
As we move into a new year, bring us closer to you by revealing the places in our hearts that need to be cleaned and renewed. We pray for the women who desire restoration, and ask that you permit time for them to draw near to you. We also pray for the woman who has seen the work that’s needed in her life, but hasn’t yet partnered with your Spirit to work things out. Please provide a reminder that you care for her and are ready to continue refining her in your likeness. We thank you for your grace and mercy, and for the opportunity to maintain a heart that seeks your will. Please grant us the energy to face whatever is ahead.
