That Dreaded Season
Ephesians 5: 13- 14a “But the light makes clear how wrong those things are. Yes, everything is made clear by the light” ERV
Gotta be honest –I’m not a fan of winter. Darkness prevails long after my first consumed cup of morning coffee and darkness returns long before the first inkling of a dinner plan comes to mind. But thankfully, my favorite season has arrived: SRING! Behold the beauty of new life in radiant color! I am ecstatic! Or, at least for a little while - until all that glorious sunshine comes rushing through the windows and displays to the world my entire vintage collection of winter dust!
And, with that, my favorite and my least favorite seasons collide: SPRING SEASON and SPRING CLEANING SEASON. All that visible nastiness destroys my, “Out of sight, out of mind,” peace and I feel compelled to head to the store to actually shop the cleaning supply aisle that I have so effortlessly rushed past all winter.
But, spring cleaning is actually Biblical. Surprised? Did you know that Ephesians 5 speaks of spring cleaning? Well, sort of. It addresses spiritual spring cleaning. So, just as we work to rid the filthiness from our homes, we are instructed to rid the filthiness from our lives, cleaning out all the dirt of evil, greed, unwholesome speech, and sexual sin.
Like the bleakness of the winter season, our lives without Christ are full of darkness. Ephesians 5: 13 says that when the light of the Lord shines in our lives, it becomes evident how very wrong all our sins are. So, just as the spring sunshine reveals the winter’s dust, God’s light exposes the dirt and dirtiness of our lives. When our sins are exposed by the light of God, we need to shop the cleaning supply aisle, so to speak. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work cleaning out the filth of sin from our lives. Then, we must replace it with good deeds, clean living, encouraging words, and thankfulness.
This dreaded spring cleaning season can be the best season of our lives. Remember, like spring cleaning, spiritual cleaning is hard work and exhausting. But, also like spring cleaning, the transformation is worth the effort.
HELPFUL HINT: Leave it to my mother to find a positive in winter’s darkness and dust. Understanding that low lights hide grime, she enjoyed entertaining by candlelight all winter long. Her guests always thought her to be a romantic, when, in reality, she just didn’t have time to dust! You’re welcome!
Father God, thank you for shedding your light on our sinful ways so that we can work to wipe the filth from our lives. May we always strive to live a life that is clean and spotless in your light. Thank you for the grace to forgive the stains we fail to remove.
Blessings for a glorious spring,
Rita