A Different Kind of Spring Cleaning

Today is the first day of spring.  The weather is warming up.  Flowers are blooming and snow is fading.  All around us, there are signs of renewed life.  Many individuals take this opportunity to spread the renewal-love inside their homes, bringing it back to life after the dark days of winter.

Every year, about this time, women are stocking their cleaning arsenal and formulating a game plan for how she might attack the cobwebs and dust bunnies that have taken up residence in the cracks and crevices of her home.  This is evident because the blog world is beginning to buzz about this annual ritual known as spring cleaning; that time of year when you deep clean every square foot of your abode.  Everyone wants to know the best and quickest way to get it done as soon as possible so they can enjoy a glass of lemonade while laying in their hammock and reading a magazine or favorite novel {at least, that's how I would spend my free time}.

In honor of this trend, I've dubbed this week, "Cleaning Week" on Grace-Full Intentions.  We're going to talk about all things cleaning so that you'll be prepared to tackle things full-force beginning next week.  But, first, it's important to do another kind of spring cleaning: a renewal of the heart and mind.

You see, whatever is found in your heart and in your mind, comes out in your words and actions, thus defining who you really are.  You might can fake kindness and gentleness for a little while, but eventually animosity and cruelty will come out, if that's what is stored inside.  The thing is, on your own, you can do nothing to sweep up those cobwebs.  You will need God to come and supernaturally do a spring cleaning session of His own.

Remember the post about being nothing apart from Him?  In it, I talked about the promise that John 15:5 gives us IF we remain in Him: you will bear much fruit.  We also talked about what kind of fruit this refers to.  But, do you know why bearing fruit is so important?

Matthew 7:16 says, "you will know them by their fruit...".  In this specific verse, Jesus was speaking to a crowd and was telling them how to identify false prophets whose goal is to deceive believers.  He goes on to explain {in verses 17-20} that good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit.

In other words, those who are genuine Christians are going to be able to "prove" their faith by their actions. Now, the Bible is very clear that our actions {or works} alone cannot save us.  But James 2:26 tells us that "faith without works is dead".  So, if we claim to be a Christian, we ought to act like one.  Galatians 5:22-23 {see above}, tells us specifically what kind of characteristics that Christians are to display: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So, if those characteristics were listed on a checklist how many could you check-off, as being evident in your life?

Before you break out your cleaners and microfiber cloths, why not try a different type of spring cleaning?

Get on your knees and ask God to do a work in you so that you may bear more fruit.  He will do it.

Blessings,

  

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