Spring cleaning of our spiritual 'house'.

[other one]

I keep my spiritual house clean all the time.....   I'm  clumsy and could accidentally kill myself at any moment.  Who knows when God might just say OK I'm tired of saving your clumsy self...

[MorningGlory]

2 hours ago, other one said:

I keep my spiritual house clean all the time.....   I'm  clumsy and could accidentally kill myself at any moment.  Who knows when God might just say OK I'm tired of saving your clumsy self...

A practical approach for sure.....I think it's a good plan to keep the spirit clean and ready to go for none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  What do you do to keep out the dirt and debris?

[other one]

3 hours ago, MorningGlory said:

A practical approach for sure.....I think it's a good plan to keep the spirit clean and ready to go for none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  What do you do to keep out the dirt and debris?

when you have come from where I came to the Lord, not much of the dirt really matters as having a hold on me.....   for me, I have very few things that can get a grip on me to do things that I know that the Lord would not approve.....   when they do happen you take care of it on the spot and not let it build up....    I check myself as to spiritual healthiness every day.    I learned a method during counseling when I was having so much trouble sleeping....   three hours a night when you are used to eight over time will mess with your brain chemistry and leave you troubling to keep up with life.  Especially handling stress.

So it works kind of like this:    

Every evening before bed, you go back over the day and decide what worked and what did not.    Put the things that come to mind in three categories.

First divide them into two......   what worked or went well, and the other group what didn't work.   In this instance what worked spiritually well and what didn't.   Those things that went well you set aside and look at the things that went not so good and divide them into two other groups.   Things you can control and things that you can not.    

Now you have three groups.....    those that are good, and those that are not that you could have done something about and those not that you had no control over.

The things that went well you pledge yourself to do again and again, and the things that did not go well that you could have controlled you ponder on ways to do better......      the third group that you simply have no control over, you turn over to the Lord and ask him for his help.  and in that case you have to accept his help no matter how ugly that way can get.    It is especially important that you don't let those things go for more than a day or they build up and can make your life miserable..

It's important to clean your house daily, and it's not so much work in the end to put things in order.

 

[FresnoJoe]

11 hours ago, MorningGlory said:

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.

I'm An Ex-Tin Can Sailor

Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3

So Only The LORD Gets The Credit For Cleaning Up My Mouth

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:5-8

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27

Love, Your Brother Joe

[gdemoss]

While I love and appreciate the spirit in which this thread is written, I am ashamed to admit that there should ever be a time for "Spring Cleaning" of this house I live in.  For my body is supposed to be a living sacrifice unto the one who died for me.  There is no excuse for anything 'messy' to be in here.  But unfortunately, I am a bit of a clutterbug in my infancy/toddler/adolescence as a Christian.  Still learning how to 'walk' in the Spirit of Christ our Lord.

The truth is though that I never could just decide to 'forgive' others and move on.  No, I have always been more of a smolderding pile of embers waiting to flare up on the first unsuspecting soul who happens to offend.  For this cause judgment carried out upon another was rarely an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth but rather a full seven fold lashing.

That is until I was taught different.  It was suggested unto me that the people who wronged me were spiritually sick, in need of the Great Physician, just as I had been.  I was told to lay out the wrongs on paper so that I could better see them.  I was to list the persons name followed by what they had done that I was unhappy about.  Then I was told to write down how it affected my self esteem, financial, personal relationships (including sex), security, pride and personal ambitions.  It did not take long to see just how dependent upon people I was and just how little my person was dependent upon God.  The whole world seemed to be in a position to gravely affect me.  

After that, I was encouraged to pray for each incident.  I was to remind myself that I was dealing with sick people who needed to get well so I would avoid retaliation or argument (we don't treat sick people that way).  That I was to ask God to help me show each one a kind and tolleranr veiw and ask him to show me how I could be helpful to them.  I was to ask for their forgiveness from God.

Then I was told to look at my part in things.  To look and see where I had been selfish, dishonest, selfseeking or acting upon frightened motives.  That was hard!  That which is in me protested greatly.  

But just taking an honest look wasn't enough.  I was told that I needed to confess what I had done unto another Christian before God.  Everything!  Then that Christian was to pray for me that I be healed according as it is written in the scriptures.  Ugh....I did. But I was told that wasn't enough. That I still needed to take time alone and ask myself if I really wanted to be done with being that kind of person.  And when the answer was yes, I needed to get on my knees before God and ask the Potter to mold me and remove these evil issues.  

After that I was encouraged to do more work to assure my house was 'clean' and that work was righting my wrongs.  I needed to seek out those that my ill will had harmed and find out what was required of me to make things right between us, even if they had also been at fault. I wasn't to worry about tgeir faults because I was forgiving them due to spiritual sickness.

I was told that if I did all these things that my house would be in tip top condition.  They were spot on!

Thanks for the topic.

[MorningGlory]

On 4/19/2016 at 1:11 AM, other one said:

when you have come from where I came to the Lord, not much of the dirt really matters as having a hold on me.....   for me, I have very few things that can get a grip on me to do things that I know that the Lord would not approve.....   when they do happen you take care of it on the spot and not let it build up....    I check myself as to spiritual healthiness every day.    I learned a method during counseling when I was having so much trouble sleeping....   three hours a night when you are used to eight over time will mess with your brain chemistry and leave you troubling to keep up with life.  Especially handling stress.

So it works kind of like this:    

Every evening before bed, you go back over the day and decide what worked and what did not.    Put the things that come to mind in three categories.

First divide them into two......   what worked or went well, and the other group what didn't work.   In this instance what worked spiritually well and what didn't.   Those things that went well you set aside and look at the things that went not so good and divide them into two other groups.   Things you can control and things that you can not.    

Now you have three groups.....    those that are good, and those that are not that you could have done something about and those not that you had no control over.

The things that went well you pledge yourself to do again and again, and the things that did not go well that you could have controlled you ponder on ways to do better......      the third group that you simply have no control over, you turn over to the Lord and ask him for his help.  and in that case you have to accept his help no matter how ugly that way can get.    It is especially important that you don't let those things go for more than a day or they build up and can make your life miserable..

It's important to clean your house daily, and it's not so much work in the end to put things in order.

 

Great advice, OO!

[MorningGlory]

On 4/19/2016 at 3:05 AM, gdemoss said:

While I love and appreciate the spirit in which this thread is written, I am ashamed to admit that there should ever be a time for "Spring Cleaning" of this house I live in.  For my body is supposed to be a living sacrifice unto the one who died for me.  There is no excuse for anything 'messy' to be in here.  But unfortunately, I am a bit of a clutterbug in my infancy/toddler/adolescence as a Christian.  Still learning how to 'walk' in the Spirit of Christ our Lord.

The truth is though that I never could just decide to 'forgive' others and move on.  No, I have always been more of a smolderding pile of embers waiting to flare up on the first unsuspecting soul who happens to offend.  For this cause judgment carried out upon another was rarely an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth but rather a full seven fold lashing.

That is until I was taught different.  It was suggested unto me that the people who wronged me were spiritually sick, in need of the Great Physician, just as I had been.  I was told to lay out the wrongs on paper so that I could better see them.  I was to list the persons name followed by what they had done that I was unhappy about.  Then I was told to write down how it affected my self esteem, financial, personal relationships (including sex), security, pride and personal ambitions.  It did not take long to see just how dependent upon people I was and just how little my person was dependent upon God.  The whole world seemed to be in a position to gravely affect me.  

After that, I was encouraged to pray for each incident.  I was to remind myself that I was dealing with sick people who needed to get well so I would avoid retaliation or argument (we don't treat sick people that way).  That I was to ask God to help me show each one a kind and tolleranr veiw and ask him to show me how I could be helpful to them.  I was to ask for their forgiveness from God.

Then I was told to look at my part in things.  To look and see where I had been selfish, dishonest, selfseeking or acting upon frightened motives.  That was hard!  That which is in me protested greatly.  

But just taking an honest look wasn't enough.  I was told that I needed to confess what I had done unto another Christian before God.  Everything!  Then that Christian was to pray for me that I be healed according as it is written in the scriptures.  Ugh....I did. But I was told that wasn't enough. That I still needed to take time alone and ask myself if I really wanted to be done with being that kind of person.  And when the answer was yes, I needed to get on my knees before God and ask the Potter to mold me and remove these evil issues.  

After that I was encouraged to do more work to assure my house was 'clean' and that work was righting my wrongs.  I needed to seek out those that my ill will had harmed and find out what was required of me to make things right between us, even if they had also been at fault. I wasn't to worry about tgeir faults because I was forgiving them due to spiritual sickness.

I was told that if I did all these things that my house would be in tip top condition.  They were spot on!

Thanks for the topic.

Wow, gdemoss, I am learning SO much in this topic!  I am definitely learning that other believers, including you, are further down that road than I.  Such good points from y'all.  Maybe I'm just not as 'deep' as you and OO; I had seriously never considered the things you two have brought up but I am really glad you did.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Glory

   Wow,I love where you have taken this Thread,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I'm going to h ave to really think about this ...I do really try my best not to neglect my "house',"tent",,,,,TEMPLE of the Lord,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I think I am pretty good at recognizing my own"dirt" & I am just totally reliant,needy & dependent on God to "show me" what needs polishing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,every single day I hear myself saying",Lord,help me",,,,,,,,,,,,the more mature I get,the older I get ,I understand more & more that I ,me(the sinner saved),,,,,,is such a helpless child of God,     Oh,I love God,,,,thank You Jesus!

                                                                                      With love-in Christ,Kwik

[MorningGlory]

12 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings Glory

   Wow,I love where you have taken this Thread,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I'm going to h ave to really think about this ...I do really try my best not to neglect my "house',"tent",,,,,TEMPLE of the Lord,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I think I am pretty good at recognizing my own"dirt" & I am just totally reliant,needy & dependent on God to "show me" what needs polishing,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,every single day I hear myself saying",Lord,help me",,,,,,,,,,,,the more mature I get,the older I get ,I understand more & more that I ,me(the sinner saved),,,,,,is such a helpless child of God,     Oh,I love God,,,,thank You Jesus!

                                                                                      With love-in Christ,Kwik

Amen, Kwik!

[Ezra]

On 19/04/2016 at 0:11 AM, other one said:

It's important to clean your house daily, and it's not so much work in the end to put things in order.

That's for sure. A daily self-examination is really what the Lord expects. As Paul said "I die daily".