Cleaning Day

About once a month I would shake my head in despair when I looked into our homeschooling supply closet. "How does this get messed up so quickly?" I would think. "I just cleaned this a few weeks ago, and now it looks like a tornado hit again!" Staying organized and keeping things put away were endless tasks for me as a homeschooling parent. Multiply four children times six to eight subjects apiece with accompanying teacher's guides, quiz and test papers, and answer keys (plus endless art and daily school supplies), and it's no wonder I couldn't keep ahead of the mess. Even though I tried to pick up and straighten things out daily, the added monthly task of a major clean-up day was always necessary.

God understands the necessity for major overhauls, too. Once a year, He commanded Aaron the high priest to come before the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice for himself and the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16). Using a live scapegoat, the high priest would lay his hands on the goat, confess the sins of the people, and send the goat into the wilderness. Even though individual sacrifices were observed by the people for their sins, the Lord also required this yearly sacrifice to clean up the nation's spiritual mess. Years later, God would fulfill the need for all sacrifices by sending His Son, Jesus, as the final payment. "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9:12).

Does your spiritual life need a major clean-up? Have you allowed seemingly little sins to enter your daily life? Some actions like telling half-truths, laziness, and over-indulging in shopping or eating may appear acceptable in your eyes at first, but if unconfessed for too long, they may begin to make a total mess of your daily walk with God. Isn't it time to clean up your actions with the Lord's forgiveness and reorganize your spiritual walk with Bible study and prayer? "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Father, how did I get back into this place of spiritual apathy again? Forgive me for not coming before You each day in prayer and seeking the strength I need from Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.