Cleaning Out
As our frequent readers know, I don’t do a lot of things the “normal” way. For instance, most people engage in spring cleaning or fall cleaning, but as a teacher and mom, I do summer cleaning. I have been going through a lesser-used cabinet in my kitchen that is above my desk, and let’s just say it was past time for a thorough cleansing.
Some items I found, I kept. They are still useful, they just needed to be organized better so I can see them and they are readily available for use. Others I ditched immediately in the trash heap. I could see no real value to anyone. They were just trash. Still others, I put in a bin for the (dreaded) upcoming yard sale. While those items are no longer of use to me, someone else may be looking for that exact thing!
Another “not so normal” thing about me, is that while I am doing mundane tasks like cleaning out a cabinet, my mind often turns to the thought of “how can I make a spiritual application from this?” (Adam is a slave driver with these articles! Just kidding.) This one was pretty easy to think of at least one application: Jesus Himself taught us to make sure we don’t just clean the outside but to also clean the inside, “that the outside also may be clean” (Matthew 23:26). He even did some cleaning Himself when He found unholy things defiling His Father’s house (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15).
I decided to dig deeper. Afterall, I already mentioned some of the items I kept for myself and others I kept in case they might be of use to others. Is there a spiritual application for that? This one might be a stretch but follow me as I consider 2 Timothy 2:21: “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” Remember that I said the things I kept, I organized so that they would be ready and available for use. The things I kept for others? Maybe those could be things like encouragement or sharing the Gospel. They do no good on my shelf – they have to be shared to be of value!
It may not be enough to just rid myself of unwanted traits and sinful actions. I may need to reorganize my heart, my priorities, and my life in order to use the tools, talents, and traits that I kept because they were given by God … “to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). And I may need to get myself busy sharing the things He means for us to share with others: “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches” (Galatians 6:6).
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AUTHOR: Amber Tatum
