CLEAN ON THE INSIDE

Sometimes I like to think of my kitchen cupboards, bathroom drawers, toy trunk catch all places as metaphors for our hearts.

I ponder the exterior in light of what's underneath and realize in both instances (physical and spiritual)
it's important to me that we be as clean (if not cleaner) on the inside than out.

 

"First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean."

Matthew 23:26

It's not uncommon for me on any given day to pick a hidden area of our home, spend a little time, and exhaust some intentional efforts toward cleaning out, organizing, removing waste from inside hidden crevices of lesser-seen places.

Likewise, I often take time to consider my own heart, my husband's heart, my children's hearts and all the lesser-seen hidden crevices there too. Working through the tangible helps me grasp metaphorically the intangible. It's eye opening.

"For the LORD sees not as man sees:

man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

And if He does (He does), I want to offer a sweet aroma from well within that honors Him in all we do, think, are. I want to be pure before Him. I long to encourage my children and husband likewise to strive for pure hearts before the Lord.

How tempting is it to shove the junk behind surfaces that appear shiny, to ignore what needs attention? How easy is it to stuff the clutter and convince ourselves it doesn't exist behind the "clean" on the outside. But God...He sees it all and He loves us anyway.

The inside matters to Him, so it should matter to us.

"And he said to them,

'You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.'"

Luke 16:15

So, today, as we spend some of our Quantity Time At Home sifting through cabinets, buckets, and the muck that can dwell behind closed doors, I'm asking God to sift through our hearts just the same in hopes that He who sees the depths of all might be pleased to make us clean on the inside.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

"Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart."

Psalm 24:3-4