Daily Cleaning

Before we even realize we need to clean, we have to recognize something is dirty. We see or feel the dirt and grime and we know we have put off cleaning long enough. We can look and know, in just a glance, what we need to clean. When we put off cleaning these things, dirt and grime begins to build up and we aren’t as comfortable in them as we once were.

There are some things we put off cleaning because they are so dirty we really don’t want to go through the trouble of spending a great deal of time cleaning them. In order to really clean something, we have to have all the tools needed to get the job done right. We need to gather what we need prior to cleaning, work on getting the job done and then make a habit of regular maintenance to keep it clean.

Our hearts and minds need a regular maintenance plan to remain clean as well. Without regular cleaning in our hearts and minds, the devil can come in and do his work. He thrives on a dirty house. He enjoys entertaining dirty minds. He can make his evil plans work when our minds are cluttered and not focused on God.

Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”

First we have to recognize that our hearts and minds are dirty. We have to know what has been building up and what has caused us to become unclean. It sometimes gets really dirty and the buildup keeps us from seeing what the real issue is. That is why we need God to do our daily cleaning. We need to give Him our dirt and grime. We can’t do this type of cleaning on our own.

To prepare to clean, we have to have the right tools. Cleaning requires something other than our hands. We have to have rags or cloths. We have to have water or some type of cleaning liquid or powder. We have to have energy and motivation. To clean our minds, we have to have God’s tools. We need to put on His armor. We need to read His word. We need to go to Him in the good times and bad.

At times, something is so dirty when we begin the first few rubs don’t really help to get rid of the dirt and grime. We continue scrubbing away the layers of dirt until we see a clean surface. In our lives, we can have a breakdown because we have let things build up for so long. We let the guilt or the sorrow consume us and we have forgotten about God. However, He is powerful enough to remove the buildup.

As we clean, we usually have a cloth or gloves to protect our skin from getting the cleaning solution directly on us and to keep the dirt off of us. This protection is needed to keep us safe from germs and chemicals. God’s protection for us is much better than cloth or gloves. He gives us armor as protection from the enemy. Just as the things we clean need protection, so do our hearts and minds.

Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Keeping our homes clean takes a lot of work. It is not easy and it is time consuming but it is very rewarding to have a clean home. Our hearts and minds need continuous renewal with God to stay clean. We have to be careful not to let the layers start to build up again because it can become more time consuming to begin the process again.

Regular spiritual maintenance keeps us cleansed daily. Regular spiritual maintenance keeps us away from distractions and focused on what we need to do for God. Regular spiritual maintenance allows God to work through us. Each day, He reminds us daily of how dirty we got the day before. He shows us what we can do to improve so that our buildup will never overtake us again. He cleanses us daily so He can make a difference through us.