Jesus cleans His dwelling place

When we moved to California for the second time, finding a house to rent became a challenge. We had a price in mind, needed a location close to my hubby’s workplace, and I wanted something reasonably clean. We finally found one that fit the first two, but it needed a lot of elbow grease. After we took possession, I spent many hours scrubbing to bring it to my standard of clean.

God’s goal for His people is that together we are united under Christ and growing into a holy temple. (Ephesians 2:19–21) We are called a temple because the Lord Himself dwells in us, and by His very presence, our lives are changed. Like that house, when He first moves into a human heart He finds lots of work to do. We are defiled by sin, and realize it because His very presence shows how far short we fall from His standard of clean. But we cannot do the cleaning. That is His job.

However, in the process of making His church holy, He does ask our cooperation. The Bible says things like this, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:1–3)

From those verses, I know that God wants me to think differently so I can determine God’s perfect will. Part of that correct thinking includes dropping my pride because it interferes with faith and godly discernment. It is like dirt, but pride is only one area to be scrubbed.

My life used to be just like that of others who have no faith. I didn’t see myself as a sinful person, but once the Light of the world entered my life, He revealed the dirt in the corners and all over the place. He began to scrub, telling me, “You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”

Instead, He told me, “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17–24)

In other words, “I’ve shown you the dirt — now the goal is to get rid of it!”

But while Christ deals with my sin, I tend to block His cleansing efforts. Just writing that line seems so foolish, but sin is like that. I can want to be holy and clean, but that old way of life does not depart easily. All Christians fight with it, moan over it, lament our inadequacy to ‘clean up’ and struggle to walk by faith. We are declared justified by grace (not anything we do) and told to walk in that truth. Jesus does both the saving and the clean-up, yet we must “hold true to what we have attained” and remember that He has changed who we are and where we live. He says our “citizenship is in heaven” and from heaven “we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:15–20)

He also says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4)

All this is tremendous motivation, yet I continually find myself in a war. My spiritual enemy does not want me to cooperate with Jesus. Rather, Satan prefers that I listen to his lies and follow them. This is why I read the word of God daily, and why I join with other Christians often. Each of us fights this battle and when one goes ‘down for the count’ or adds more dirt to their lives, the rest are there to remind and encourage each other about the saving and cleansing power of Jesus — and His desire that we do not stay like we once were, or like those who do not know Him, but become holy just as He is holy. He wants the dwelling place to match the new Owner and Tenant!

Setting and reaching goals

Looking for some tips, I checked out two books from the library that are about de-cluttering my home. Actually, they are more about de-cluttering all of life. Each book is concerned with the attitudes that are behind saving stuff that you don’t use and keeping things that have no value. One of them divides this clutter into physical, mental and emotional spaces. The other aims at the clutter that happens in physical spaces, schedules and from bad habits. 
 

From these books, I’ve been challenged to figure out a word or two that describes what has been going on in my life that frustrates me, and a word or two for what describes I want in life from now on. The first one was easy; SPINNING MY WHEELS. 

As for the second part, I’m thinking in terms of biblical goals, but these are secular books. They have no suggestions like “wanting to do God’s will” or “being transformed” or “becoming like Jesus.” 

After reading a few chapters and giving this much thought, wanting to do God’s will is a given. Since I became a Christian, this has been behind everything, even the spinning of wheels. This has to remain as my theme for the second question too, but I wanted to add something that countered that spinning idea. My words should be more like, “focus” or “do the next thing” or even “avoid all distractions.” As I pondered those choices, God somehow managed to hit my thoughts with today’s devotional reading. The verse is right where my challenge words are coming from. 

Jesus is tired and hungry. He stops at a well and encounters a Samaritan woman. By the end of their conversation, this woman leaves her water bucket and runs into the city to tell everyone that she has found the Messiah. In the meantime, the disciples had gone for food and came back urging Jesus to eat. He told them He had food that they didn’t know about. They thought He meant bread, but…

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:34)

When the de-clutter book asks for a theme or focus, they define it as something that fits who I am and what gives me the greatest sense of doing what I am meant to do. In other words, what feeds me? Why am I here? What is the work that God has given me? I already agree with Jesus who said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38) 

The comment in the devotional is short and directly to the point. It is a quote from Phillips Brooks who said, “Seek your life’s nourishment in your life’s work.” 

Yes, double yes. Nothing is sadder or more frustrating than meaningless activity. I can tolerate it for a short time, and sometimes foolishly select it (like playing a computer game for an hour), yet even meaningless activities done well cannot compare to the satisfaction of doing that for which I am created. 

Yet few people can hang a description on their “life’s work” — never mind let that be their sole occupation. I still have to clean toilets and shop for groceries. For that reason, I don’t want to select a word or two for want I want in life that narrows my focus to the point that these chores fall off the list. Doing them would continue to make me feel like I am “wasting time” because those necessities were without value.

The woman who wrote this book hasn’t mentioned the daily necessities, but I don’t think she or Jesus intends that anyone skip them because they are not part of a person’s life purpose. Instead of a to-do list, this concept is more about an attitude. The book wants me to pick something that I can focus on, that will help me avoid the space and any time wasting that leave me frustrated. The Bible wants me to continually listen to the voice of God and do whatever He tells me, without hesitation, procrastination, or those “yes, but” arguments. 

For that reason, I’ve picked a combo of a commercial motto and the words of a wise woman: JUST DO THE NEXT THING. This replaces “just do it” — which has no definition, and “do the next thing” — which still leaves room for procrastination.

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Lord, as I think about the way You lived, this theme seems to fit it also. You always did whatever God put in front of You, without hesitation, but also without distraction. You were able to focus, even knowing if an interruption was heaven-sent or nothing more than a deterrent that kept You from the will of God. I’ve made the lists suggested in the book. Now I rely on You to guide me. Help me know the next thing that will move me forward to the immediate goal of ridding my life of the unnecessary — and the ultimate goal of becoming more like You.

To Live is Christ — in simplicity

Today’s devotional reading again uses the verse from Revelation that says God chastens those He loves. It also asks if I’ve ever experienced God’s discipline. This is the same as asking if God loves me.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

My entire Christian life has been about God whittling away at my sinfulness. He uses His Word, other people, and circumstances to show me where I am not like Jesus, what I need to confess, and when I need to repent. Examples abound.

One of them concerns self-discipline. This is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Self-discipline might use the word ‘self’ but it is not something I can do properly apart from God’s input. This type of discipline is less about coercion from God and more about decisions and determination. If I do not practice this kind of discipline, God eventually says something to me in the form of a rebuke.

For example, yesterday I made a renewed vow to rid my space of clutter. Another Christian questioned me. Was this something that pleases God or not? I explained my actions using this passage.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

For me, clutter is one of those weights that keeps me from running with endurance. I’m a detail person and every object in my house is noticed and can easily become a distraction from doing something more important. Being attention-deficit doesn’t help. I need to focus, but also lay aside those weights.

I didn’t realize the power of clutter until our month vacation in Scottsdale. We stayed in a clutter-free condo. Part of the freedom I felt had to do with being away from home, but a larger part was being without the distraction of stuff. This week the Lord is reminding me that I need to keep working at the spiritual discipline of simplicity in regard to possessions. I do not use or need all that is in my house.

Sometimes knowing what to toss is difficult. We turned our closet hangers backwards this year to help us know which clothes are not being worn. Once worn, the hanger is turned the other way. At the end of the year, it will be easy to see what has not been used.

It is not as easy with books. I’d rather spend money at Chapters than at a ladies wear. Sometimes I go to my book shelves for reference, or even to reread a fiction book, but many of them have dust on top. Do I turn my books backwards too? Or are they as big a distraction as other things in the house?

If I look at this with eternity in mind, I’m reminded that someday all of the ‘stuff’ will be left behind. Most of it is not necessary in serving God. Some of it even grabs me around the ankles and pulls me into neutral, even reverse. Those things are weights I do not need to lift, but practicing the discipline of simplicity is far from simple.

Another rebuke was about time-wasting. I could be writing instead of watching television, folding laundry instead of doing crossword puzzles. A little R&R might be important. I have trouble drawing the line at little. Once it becomes selfish indulgence, I immediately start to drift away from God’s will.

Jesus Christ actively involved Himself in ministry for a bit more than three years. During that time, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book” (John 20:30). He accomplished more in those short years than many do in a lifetime, yet His life was as simple as it could be. He owned nothing, carried nothing with Him, and did only as the Father asked Him to do. To live is Christ might not mean those same extremes, but I know that I can do much better than I’m doing.