cleaning up and cleaning out

Sorry for the delay in my blogging update. Thank you Sheila for the reminder for me to get back to it. I could give out all kinds of excuses pointing to how busy I am, but I'm sure that many of you (as busy as you are) would not find that to be a good excuse. So, I will suffice it to say that my time that past few days has been spent cleaning and rearranging furniture in our house.

I can honestly say, that I am not much for keeping things "tidy." Take one look at my office and you know what I'm talking about. I guess the truth is, I don't really enjoy the tediousness of daily cleaning and picking up, sweeping, dusting, organizing, blah, blah, blah. Some people tell me that my lack of daily cleaning up is just a sign of my immaturity. Hmm...interesting thought. Oh well. I do, however, enjoy the occasional clean up and clean out. You know that day where you just get fed up with the clutter and just start throwing junk out. I know that there are some people out there that have the pack rat mentality and just can't get rid of stuff, but I do think that most people arise one day and just can't take it anymore, and have to get rid of the junk that's in the way.

Well, this time Ren and I decided to rearrange some furniture and do some organizing while we were cleaning out a bunch of junk. It' kind of fun rearranging furniture sometimes. It's almost like moving into a new house. Sometimes it can be exciting. For example, today is the first time I've ever used my computer to write this blog in this room of my house. So you are a part of history.

Well, anyway, to get to the point, these ideas of throwing out junk and rearranging furniture and stuff have kind of got me thinking about the spiritual life. (Right now your probably going, no kidding, doesn't everything make you think about the spiritual life with Christ...well yeah, it does...it should I think in some way...) So anyway, first the idea of the occasional clean out. I see how we as Christians like to do the occasional clean out of our souls. I think that most of us tend for our personal soul care the way I clean my office or my house. "When it just gets bad enough, or when I can't take it anymore, that's when I'll deal with it." I see it all the time, the students... the parents... the church people... only wanting to do the discipleship work occasionally ...retreats, ski trips, River of Life... What about a daily quiet time with God? What about a prayer life? What about growing in our practice of the living as Christians? Like I said, most of us tend to our souls the way I tend to my office. But hey...it's better to occasionally treat my soul like Jeremy treats his office than to treat my soul like those "pack rat" people. Could you imagine life like that? Not ever being able to truly let go of the things inside you. Not being able to let go of hurtful comments people have made...not being able to forgive...not being able to release bitterness...what a terrible feeling. You're probably right, it is better to occasionally tend to your soul as opposed to not tending to it at all. But maybe the fact that you only occasionally spend time with God, maybe the fact that you are occasionally thinking and growing as a disciple has more to do with the fact that you are spiritually immature? Hmm...kind of like how I am about my office.

I really do want to get better at keeping my stuff tidy...but I'm far more concerned with keeping my life with Christ together. I can handle my lack of maturity about my office, but I don't want to be immature about my faith. I really do want to grow...I really do want to be a better disciple each day. I wonder what our lives would look like if we grew in Christ? Hmm...

Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so.