Making a Clean Sweep

When our girls were growing up--they were your typical kids.  Messy rooms.  Toys scattered.  After many years of saying "clean your room", whatever habits they adopted in keeping their belongings became part of their normal routines and these habits began to form and stick.  

I remember hearing my own mother say repeatedly, "Angie, clean up this room!"  I admit, I would much rather read a book than anything else when I was growing up.  Little did I know then -that if I would just KEEP my room clean, I could read as much as I wanted "guilt-free".  

Isn't it hard to enjoy something you love doing if there are undone things surrounding you?

I cannot count the times they would proclaim it clean--and I would go do the "inspection" before play could resume--and on the surface...it looked mostly clean.  But open the closet door--or look under the bed--and there would be all the things hurriedly shoved out of sight.  I guess that was all they worried about--what was visible.  But "they knew" it was still there.  Still undone. 

I remember a time or two--that it was all pulled out of the closet and all pulled back out from under the bed--and had to be dealt with.  Properly.  Correctly.  It took longer than they wanted--only because they didn't deal with it correctly to begin with.  

How many times have we done that in our own life?  I did it myself as a kid.  I remember well my mother pulling socks and shoes out from under the bed all because I didn't take the time to do it right.  I learned.  As did my own girls.  This is probably why clutter and chaos disturbs me--because I know it can be remedied.  I just takes a change of mindset--and get rid of the lazy spirit.

Jesus said that it will all be revealed--ALL.  Whatever we have hidden--will be brought out into the light.  "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light".  Luke 8:17 NKJV

I remember times in my young adult life when I read books that weren't the most beneficial and listened to music that didn't feed my soul.  Oh, it fed me alright.  But not in a spiritual way.  I would sing with Shania Twain and Jo Dee Mecina all the way to work, and other artists lyrics that put thoughts into my head that really had no place being there--sure the music was catchy and fun--but it was the lyrics that stuck.  Of course when the song had a cuss word in it, I would go silent--but it was in my head--whether it came out of my mouth or not.

One day, I came to the realization--even though I was a Christian, I had accumulated more junk than things that one would really value in life. Things I knew I wouldn't want my family to have to deal with should I pass suddenly from this life.  I wouldn't want to leave the legacy of soul zapping music or stack of books that surely didn't feed me spiritually.  

I have ALWAYS loved to read.  We could never afford to buy books, so what I read, I checked out of the school library or borrowed from my aunt and cousins across the road.  My goodness what a library they had!  I never ran out of something to read.  The books might transport you to fantasy island...but it was not real--and my soul and heart suffered.  

About 30 years ago, I decided to get rid of all my junk, my secular music CDs and tapes. I tossed out every silly harlequin romance along with them.  I was done with it.  My soul was starving and I was feeding it it junk food.  

I knew my soul needed to be freed and fed from the Holy Spirit.  That was the day my heart broke free from the bondage of shoving things under the bed and into the closet.  Did the devil try and sneak things back in?  You bet he did.  

As long as you and I breathe--the devil will attempt to pull us into any pit that God has already rescued us from.  But if you feel inclined to hide something--you know automatically--it's wrong.  You don't have to ask anyone their thoughts or opinion on the subject.  Just clean out the closet and deal with it.  Trash it.  Admit it--whether you ever admit it to another soul, come clean before God.  What I feel strongly about--may not be the same as what you feel strongly about--BUT if the Holy Spirit puts His finger on anything in your life that you are doing, saying, reading, listening to or watching--even if it's something that would not be considered "wrong"--it could be wrong for YOU.  Some things become an addiction.  (You have to figure out for yourself what you are addicted to.   And only you know.)

I don't know why this became the subject today-except I kept feeling prompted about this for a few weeks now. I know there are people who struggle with things in secret--trying to keep it hidden from others--knowing it's wrong. 

Aren't you exhausted?  

I know the scrambling ensues when kids are told to clean their room--rushing to shove things out of the way and into closets and under the bed...but it's time to pull it out and deal with it for good.  Do whatever you need to do to keep from hoarding up your secrets and hiding the issues.

If it takes changing friends...do it.  You will become who you hang with.  

If your closest friends have critical spirits and you seem to adapt their thoughts and ideas as your own--it is high-time for some realistic heart evaluation.  

If all you can do is find fault with others....time to clean out from under the bed and see what is causing your emotions to spew acidic words about another human being.

So, let's leave the room and go to our hearts and lives.  

Do what is necessary.  Make a clean sweep before God.  Relinquish them or it to Him.  If you are harboring unforgiveness, you will never be happy until you let go.  Whether they EVER apologize to you for the pain they inflicted--you have to forgive.  And stop talking about it.  If it crosses the roadways in your mind, don't let it cross the road of your mouth.  Don't say it aloud.  When you do--the devil knows he still has a hold on you and he will do whatever he can to keep the pain fresh.

Make a clean sweep of your physical house and heart.  Yes, it may be hard at first--but I can promise you--the more you clean out--the freer you will be and the peace that will come in to take it's place will wash over your soul like a nice long hot shower.

Don't let neglect even the tiniest of things that seem to niggle at your noggin'.  I'm telling you the enemy will use whatever ammunition you leave behind.  As my mother would say, "get everything OUT from under the bed".  

Rearranging the furniture is what I often do to give my house a thorough cleaning.  Baseboards and underneath everything.  Maybe it's time to rearrange some life things.  Only you can make that determination.  But only your determination will see the job done well.

Today--determine to make a clean sweep.

You will be AMAZED at how it makes you FEEL! 

© Angie Knight 2024. All rights reserved. 

 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10 NLT