This week, over at Home Sanctuary, Rachel Anne walked us through creating a "Real World" Housekeeping Schedule. It was good to review and revise my schedule to fit my current needs. Having a reliable system that I can manage to keep up with keeps me from feeling overwhelmed.
This morning as I pulled out of my driveway to take the kids to school, there were two trucks moving slowly along the curbs, sweeping as they went. This really baffled me. Why two trucks? Is one truck not good enough to do the job? Can they not get a "clean sweep" with just one pass?
From there I got to thinking about my children. (Bear with me, this is how my mind works!) I try to teach them to do a job right the first time so that they don't have to go back and do it again. You know, the old saying "A job worth doing, is worth doing well." Sweeping is one of those chores that my kids gripe about when it's their turn. They know that if they don't get all the crumbs from the dining room floor the first time, I'll make them go back and do it again.
What I am trying to get at, is sometimes it takes two or more passes to get it really clean. Now I am speaking literally about cleaning, but this analogy could also be applied to the state of our hearts. Ultimately, when we accept Christ into our lives, we are cleansed by His blood.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NKJV)
Once we have received Christ into our heart, we must continue grow to be more like Him. This takes effort on our part, but not without help from God.
Jesus said in John 14:25-26 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
So then, the Holy Spirit helps us "clean house" so to speak. We must to allow the Holy Spirit to sweep our hearts and point out any unclean places. We need to pray with the Psalmist David "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:22-23)
This is not an easy process and oftentimes we must come back for a "second pass." Jesus alone was without sin while he was here on this earth. Only when He returns and takes us up into heaven will we truly have a "clean sweep."
Until then, this is my prayer: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you (and me) through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, parentheses mine)
6 comments:
Very true. Thanks for those words.
I've only seen the 2 trucks when they do the shoulders on the freeways. Ours rarely come by anymore, and it's so hard for them to really get things clean since some neighbors (not the surrounding ones but down the block) don't sweep up the leaves...ever. So the sweeper just ends up hauling a bunch of leaves down the entire street. =\
Anyway, I'm glad that the Lord never stops cleaning up our hearts with all the times we make mistakes and make a mess of things.
This was a great analogy. The song you chose ("Give Us Clean Hands") was a perfect accompaniment, and it will remind me to purify my heart. I wish I didn't wander so often, but I do, and God still has mercy on me.
Tonight my hubby and I went to a restaurant for dinner. The table next to us had a very young family sitting at it and when they left we heard the manager tell a waitress to sweep the floor under the table before they seated the next customers. The young girl came back w/the broom and dustpan ..swept around the table, didn't move the chairs or sweep under the table...I said to hubby that she sweeps just like our teens would! I'm with Joyce..I'm glad the Lord does a better job w/us then we could ever do!
What an awesome analogy. . .thank you! Thanks for visiting my blog too. . love getting to know others who are in the same "place" in life and it sounds like many of us are :)
FINALLY I made it to you!!! It has taken three days of reading blogs!
I love this word picture, thanks for sharing.
I also wanted to thank you for sharing Isaiah 40 a couple of weeks ago. I have been very slowly reading and journaling through it and have finally just gotten done, but it really is a beautiful and very encouraging scripture!
Hope you have a blessed week!
Terrific analogy! Thanks for stopping by my blog this weekend. :)
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