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The Pastor's Place. For Pastors and their families.Soulful Spring Cleaning
by Linda Mae Baldwin (Linda's bio)
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I had so many great ideas for this month's column scampering in my head it was difficult to weed out one. May is a wonderful month with so many special occasions: May flowers, a direct result of April's spring showers, fill my yard. This is our first Mother's Day without my momma and my first Mother's Day as Nana to two delicious grandsons! And, it was sunny today, so I tooled about in Beatrice, my convertible. I have no lack of subjects to write about, but the Lord kept bringing me back to one: Spring Cleaning.
Frankly, His choice of subject puzzles me because I am not a good cleaner, clearly evidenced by the present weekend appearance of my home. (My abode is clean, but not pristine or orderly. As I look about my family room, I see newspapers scattered on the love seat, my Seattle Mariner's baseball cap on the sofa, a collection of magazines scattered over the top of the pine chest/coffee table. We put in a Victory garden this year, utilizing the dining room table as our launch point for seedlings etc.; gardening gear still litters the tabletop. And, to my left, are piles of different writing projects.) Fortunately, we are not writing about Spring Cleaning a physical residence, instead we will tackle Spring Cleaning for the soul, a process I am familiar with.
(Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.)
1. Start at the top and work to the bottom. Pray. Ask the Lord to show you what areas in your life need special attention. Include a prayer for your church members. (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness). The following are a few suggestions.
2. It might surprise you where dirt lies in your spiritual life. Seemingly smooth surfaces can harbor dust and grime. The thinnest layer of dust will mask a spotless view to the Lord. Blow with a fresh request to the Holy Spirit and replace with a clean shiny slate of pure love. (John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.)
3. Take a scrub pad to your Bible study. You may find yourself in a rusty rut in your lessons. Try something fresh; a study guide, a CD of praise songs, even a new Bible, to scrape rust off time in the Word and give a new sharpened edge to your sword of truth.
4. Vinegar cleans dirt from glass, allowing a clearer reflection in the mirror, or a crisp view outside. Pray for the vinegar of confession to clear the way to a reflective heart, and a clearer view to His will for you.
5. Replace filters. Just as filters on our appliances, furnaces and water supply keeps out detrimental items, ensuring a long and productive life, so do the 'filters' of our mind and heart. If we allow filters to clog with debris, we stunt the usefulness of the items. We can always replace appliances, furnaces etc., but, if we allow life's debris to choke heart, soul and mind filters, our usefulness to the Father's kingdom will be less than desirable. (James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.)
6. Perform safety checks. To ensure items like smoke detectors and such will perform in times of need, check batteries and functionality annually. Our spiritual life may be weak; the connection to our power supply can be ineffective and weak. Search your heart and mind to find what needs replacing and re-charging to ensure a strong forceful connection to the Lord.
7. If this is the year to whitewash fences or decks, make sure you pressure wash the surface thoroughly before applying a new coat of stain or paint. Life's pressure should not separate us from the Lord, but clear out embedded rubbish. Apply a fresh clean coat of prayer to protect and seal your new relationship.
8. First Aid kits are used only in an emergency. This spring inventory your kits to make sure all medication expiration dates are safe and other items are in useable condition. Replace items that are too old, mildewed or opened (if they are sterile). Is your soul mildewed? The time of your last serious commitment or time with the Lord expired? Spring is a good time for fresh starts.
9. Closet cleansing. Clothes, shoes, and accessories not worn in a year or two should be donated to charity. Cluttered closets can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Take one item at a time and honestly evaluate its usefulness. You might be surprised at the relief a clean, sparse closet full of functional items will give. We may have many useless items hanging in our spiritual closet. Take inventory of old attitudes, traditions, 'sacred cows', and secrets. Evaluate each one carefully and cast out any that are taking up space. You will feel free and perhaps relieved at your new serviceable no-nonsense spirituality. (Ephesians 4:22 b put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds).
10. Spring-cleaning encompasses many areas not covered here. Yard work, our computer desktops, carpets, bathrooms, books, clutter, kitchens, gardens, well, you get the idea. The common thread to all is to throw out old, dirty, useless items, and replace or repair with new, scrubbed, useful effects. The same is true for your spiritual walk. Too many old attitudes and ideas need to be replaced or repaired. Spring, a time of new growth, and fresh growth is the perfect time to start. When you are finished please share your accomplishment with someone. I went to www.billygraham.org and entered my information into the site, indicating I had re-committed my life to the Lord. A few weeks after I received a Bible study, a Billy Graham book and a Max Lucado book from the Billy Graham organization. All have proved to be very helpful. If you'd like to share your accomplishment with me, I'd be honored. lindamaebaldwin@hotmail.com or writeon@attbi.com.
Copyright 2002, Linda Mae Baldwin. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
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About Linda Mae Baldwin: Linda Mae Baldwin has ministered in churches in various capacities since 1983, when her husband answered the call to the Pastorate. The author of various plays, inspirational readings, and short stories, she currently also writes reviews for the iUniverse.com CWWC site. Although no longer in vocational ministry, Linda Mae's heart is to minister to pastors, their wives and children. E-mail Linda Mae |
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