Spring Cleaning

This past weekend I took advantage of an extra day off work to do some serious spring cleaning around the house.  Just so you know how serious it was -- I cleaned the oven.

Except I didn't.  Yes, I cheated.  The oven cleaned itself.

Thank God for whoever invented self cleaning ovens.  And bless our landlords for buying one :)  The one problem of the self cleaning oven is that after the cleaning process, you have a house that is about 7,000 degrees.  Great in the winter.... Not so great in the spring when the temp is 75 degrees.  Oops.

After I wiped my oven down and it was all sparkly, my life seemed so much better.  With the exception of the blazing hot house.  While icing myself down, I had a revelation. Ready for it?    Our oven is like our heart. 

No, our hearts don't make our houses feel like the Sahara Desert.  Nor do they bake delicious mounds of bread or cakes or anything else.  Here's my thinkin' Lincoln...

I don't know about you, but I don't put "clean the oven" on my weekly to do list because the inside of the oven isn't something that a visitor could see right away.   I admit, on most days, my house LOOKS clean, but if you really start looking, you are going to find some hidden crud.  Specifically in my oven.... after I bake a lasagna.

We, too, can also LOOK like we are doing well.  We can do our hair and nails, wear a smile and pretend to be "doing great" when we really aren't.  Just like my oven, I let slime and grime build up in my heart because people can't see in there.  I can appear to be okay when deep down, my heart is being hardened because I haven't made time to read the word.  Or it is being littered with anger, worry and negativity because I refuse to let go.  Or, it is being dirtied with unforgiven sins because I become too busy to ask for forgiveness.  

Cleaning my oven just took a switch of a button and enduring some heat.  Heart cleansing just takes submission and confession. Jesus already took the heat.  The gunk of our hearts will be "burned off" when we confess our sins:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9


Maybe it's time to do a little spiritual spring cleaning. Don't let your heart get dirty.  Allow God to create in you a clean heart.