The Unseen Clean

Today was housecleaning day. It’s something I do each week and look forward to…look forward to when it’s over, that is. Cleaning toilets, dusting, laundry, etc – basically all those super glamorous tasks. Today, as it is each week, I was tempted to cut corners. You know what I’m talking about: only dusting around the items on my table instead of lifting them and wiping the entire surface, etc. The short cuts will make things, well, shorter, but they won’t make the house any cleaner.

How often are we the same with our spiritual “cleanliness”? We quickly dust up the areas that others can see – our conversation, our habits, and our appearance – while the inside remains more dirty and dusty than ever. We speak good words, but think evil thoughts. We do good in front of others, but slander behind their backs. We act as those that Scripture described as “whitewashed tombs,” clean on the outside, but full of death and evil on the inside (Matthew 23:27-28).

Today, I pushed myself to clean the whole house. Yes, even under that end table where no one can really see. I want my house to be a clean place where love, not mold, grows. How much more, then, should I push myself to clean up my life? Yes, my entire life. I may have the Sunday morning persona perfected, but I want my Monday – Saturday life to look just as genuine and Holy unto the Lord. Challenge yourself today to clean up all over. The results are wonderful: no hidden stains, no shame that someone could stumble upon, and the feeling of knowing that you are being 100% truthful with yourself and others when you declare your state of cleanliness. Let’s clean up!