I spent part of the evening cleaning my oldest daughter’s room.
It wasn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but it certainly wasn’t what anyone would call organized. She struggled to let go of little plastic dolls, Happy Meal toys, random papers she had drawn on, and keychains with no real significance other than “she sort of liked them.”
As we worked together, we talked about what was worth keeping and what wasn’t. Within about 15 minutes, we found our rhythm, shared the same goal, and started moving efficiently.
That’s when it hit me: just as the rooms of our home get messy with use, so do our hearts.
Before company comes, I usually tidy the house. I’m sure most people do this. I don’t stress too much about it because I believe in being real, but I do pick up toys off the living room floor.
Our hearts need that same kind of attention.
Isaiah 1:18-20 (MSG)
“Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.”
This is God’s Message:
“If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white.
If they’re red like crimson, they’ll be like wool.
If you’ll willingly obey, you’ll feast like kings.
But if you’re willful and stubborn, you’ll die like dogs.”
That’s right. God says so.
As women, we tend to feel everything deeply, don’t we? Joy, sadness, excitement, frustration. That’s not a bad thing, it just means we need to be intentional about pausing, humbling ourselves before God, and making sure our hearts are aligned with Him.
So what does “tidying the heart” look like?
It’s different for each of us. For me, it’s spending time in Scripture and reading from one of the many devotional books I keep nearby. It’s photographing my life, writing about it, giving thanks to God, and asking Him to show me where I can grow.
When I began asking Him to reveal my faults and create in me a clean heart, my life shifted. It hasn’t gotten easier as purposeful living actually requires tremendous effort, however it has become far richer and filled with true joy.
Life really is better when it’s anchored in Him and richly filled with JOY.
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