Spring cleaning of our spiritual 'house'.

[MorningGlory]

After Kwik's suggestion I researched a bit and found this article on About.com.  There are great suggestions for going about spring cleaning of the spirit.  I am especially going to try cleaning out the baggage; getting rid of old slights, or imagined ones.         

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So.......what do y'all think?  Isn't it easier to clean our spiritual house than our physical one?  Truthfully, I'd rather work on my relationship with God than clean the oven. 

\http://christianity.about.com/od/topicaldevotions/p/springcleaning.htm

[Jayne]

11 minutes ago, MorningGlory said:

 

So.......what do y'all think?  Isn't it easier to clean our spiritual house than our physical one?  Truthfully, I'd rather work on my relationship with God than clean the oven. 

Amen!!

[MorningGlory]

1 hour ago, Jayne said:

Amen!!

Which of the things mentioned would be your priority, Jayne?  As I said in the OP, mine is getting rid of the 'baggage' that I tend to hold on to.  It's old, dusty, musty and needs to go.  Of course, we have to enlist the Lord in this type of cleaning. 

[Jayne]

I've struggled in the past year with bitterness over something that happened to me professionally speaking that was a severe betrayal.  I truly forgave, but the devil just would torment me with a bitter spirit from time to time.

The bitterness affected me spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically.  I spent way too much time and wasted too much energy in that state of mental "do-overs".  Thinking and stewing about what I should have done .... should have said.

It wasn't until I got a grasp that I was damaging myself by clinging to the bitterness FAR worse that this person did to me with her betrayal that I was able to move on.

I'm at peace now that I've "swept out" the bitterness.  As Jesus said, "Remember Lot's wife" and "the one who puts his/her hand to the plow and LOOKS BACK isn't suited for the kingdom of God."  

I don't even give much thought anymore.

 

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, MorningGlory said:

After Kwik's suggestion I researched a bit and found this article on About.com.  There are great suggestions for going about spring cleaning of the spirit.  I am especially going to try cleaning out the baggage; getting rid of old slights, or imagined ones.         

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So.......what do y'all think?  Isn't it easier to clean our spiritual house than our physical one?  Truthfully, I'd rather work on my relationship with God than clean the oven. 

\http://christianity.about.com/od/topicaldevotions/p/springcleaning.htm

I think that you can do both. I am very detail oriented when it comes to keeping my house clean. I do the same with my heart and my soul.

[MorningGlory]

24 minutes ago, Jayne said:

I've struggled in the past year with bitterness over something that happened to me professionally speaking that was a severe betrayal.  I truly forgave, but the devil just would torment me with a bitter spirit from time to time.

The bitterness affected me spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically.  I spent way too much time and wasted too much energy in that state of mental "do-overs".  Thinking and stewing about what I should have done .... should have said.

It wasn't until I got a grasp that I was damaging myself by clinging to the bitterness FAR worse that this person did to me with her betrayal that I was able to move on.

I'm at peace now that I've "swept out" the bitterness.  As Jesus said, "Remember Lot's wife" and "the one who puts his/her hand to the plow and LOOKS BACK isn't suited for the kingdom of God."  

I don't even give much thought anymore.

 

Now that is true spiritual cleansing.  I'm hoping and praying that I can let go of some of my 'cobwebs' too because they are getting bigger.  Thanks for sharing that, Jayne.

[MorningGlory]

4 minutes ago, bopeep1909 said:

I think that you can do both. I am very detail oriented when it comes to keeping my house clean. I do the same with my heart and my soul.

I am just beginning to learn how to keep the garbage out.  Yours is a good path to follow for everyone.  If we KEEP it out we won't have to do the heavy lifting after it builds up.

[MorningGlory]

2 hours ago, Butero said:

One thing I have had to deal with, and it was about 3 or 4 weeks ago was holding grudges I wasn't aware I was holding.  I would ask the Lord for forgiveness when I would fall short of his holy standards, but at the same time was continually thinking back on things others had done to wrong me.  I had to make up my mind once and for all to forgive everyone that had ever done anything against me going back to childhood.  This was back on April 4, so it wasn't even as long ago as I was thinking.  I decided that I was going to let everything go that had happened from that point back.  Then I have tried to forgive everyone of any wrong thing they have done each new day from that day backwards.  I have had battles with the devil bringing them to my remembrance, but so far I have been able to reject the temptation to renew the anger. 

I think that cleaning out our spiritual house is a wonderful idea. 

I've battled that one too, Butero.  I tend to hold grudges and, even though I know that God doesn't want us to do that, it's been hard letting go.  A lot of it is my tendency to want to be 'right' about everything and, realistically, that's just not possible.  Thanks for sharing that because I know most of us can relate.

[RustyAngeL]

On 4/17/2016 at 7:51 PM, Jayne said:

Amen!!

I don't have to clean my oven, it broke so I bought a toaster oven.  It's great and easy to clean.  My chore this spring is the cupboards.  New lining things like that.  The thought of all of that work almost brings me to tears. And by the way get a self cleaning oven. 

[MorningGlory]

I think this is one cleaning chore I need to get on quickly.  This political season is bringing out the wildebeest in me.  Ugh!  It would would be easier to clean the Taj Mahal than my own mouth.....from number two in the article:

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (NIV)

Philippians 2:14
Do everything without complaining or arguing.

I have a real problem with this one.  I'm thinking one possible solution would be to stop listening to politics 24/7.