“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Psalm 51:10-12
The Untidy Truth About Holiness
A few days ago, we decided at the last minute to temporarily move our weekly neighborhood Bible study from the church basement to our home. For a few reasons, it made sense. But as I glanced from the kitchen to the living room to the pile of shoes by the front door, a low-grade panic swept over me.
I once read a magazine article that said a tidy home should always be just twenty minutes away. If we’re doing our job to keep things respectably clean, it shouldn’t take long to tame our everyday chaos. Testing the theory, I consolidated piles and tossed a few things behind a closed bedroom door. Ten minutes later, seconds before the first guest arrived, our house was presentable enough.
The real truth remained hidden in my dark floors that haven’t been mopped in a very long time and behind the shower curtain, in the tub that is overdue for a good scrub-down. It’s pretty simple to stash our messes out of sight. We can crop our social media photos, shake dry shampoo into our third-day hair, light a fresh candle, and throw the dirty pans in a cold oven.
I’ve almost perfected the modern day art of projecting the image of order while kicking the dust bunnies back under the couch.
If I’m not careful, I do the same with my soul.
I can, and should, remind myself often that my humanity is no surprise to God.ย He has made His home in me, just as I am. He doesn’t expect perfection. But He’s far more concerned with my sticky floors and smudged walls than with my selection of cute throw pillows meant to distract the eye. My attempts to craft spiritual illusions disgust him.
God is not after our tidiness, but our holiness.
For the past several months He has been hard at work scrubbing my heart, pointing me to a new obedience.
For the past several months, I’ve kept myself busy sorting the junk mail of my soul and folding the towels.
The nudges weren’t making sense. This was no obvious moral failing. But when we sign up to follow Jesus, we throw down our nets in an act of admittance that we don’t know what we need after all. We no longer get to decide. We can fluff and shine all we want, but if our hearts are not tender to the touch of the Holy Spirit, none of that matters.
If I had to guess, I would say my little white house will keep its “lived in” vibe. I reserve the right to creatively conceal our clutter at any time and for any reason.
But when it comes to my heart, I don’t want to waste another day hiding.
The conviction of the Spirit is a beautiful gift, laying bare my inadequacies and wrapping them in the hope of salvation.
Dunk me. Scrub me. Make me new.
Is there something in your life God has been asking you to pull from the shadows? Rather than resisting, what would it look like to simply obey?
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This is exactly what I needed this morning. It seems that I make daily excuses to “resist” ….. even though I know beyond a doubt where I will go with God if I simply obey. Thank you for being His voice to me today. This scripture is one of my favorites.
Renea I agree wholeheartedly!
Shannan,
As usual…so much good stuff here…”laying bare my inadequacies and wrapping them in the hope of salvation.” Like you, I have tried to “tidy up” my soul to impress God. I don’t know who I’m trying to fool because God can’t be fooled, yet I try. I will do all the right things – read His Word, pray, give thanks, but I think what God wants is for us to lay our incomplete-sinful-I’m-not-fooling-anyone lives before Him and ask Him to wash and scrub us clean in the blood of His Son. You’ve got me doing some soul searching this am. and that’s okay. I think I know what my offering needs to be to God this Easter. Beautiful!
Blessings,
Bev xx
true for me!
“I can, and should, remind myself often that my humanity is no surprise to God. He has made His home in me, just as I am. He doesnโt expect perfection” I’m in a season of finding such grace in knowing He is all in when it comes to His home in my heart – sleeves rolled up, on His hands and knees committed to scrubbing away the grit I’ve tracked in from this world. What an encouragement today. Thank you Shannan!
a great deal of scrubbing needed
I needed this inspiration and discover daily how little I know about the Bible
Thank you, Shannon! What a comfort your words are to me today. God bless you!!
Shine, Woman of God.
Share Woman of God.
You are the only god some will see.
Let them see not you, but GOD.
If you can stand a humorous approach, I will attempt one, even on a very serious and important topic.
I am a might hunter. I shot twelve dust bunnies and a pure bread slipper just this morning, even before I got out of my pajamas. How all that got into my pajamas, only Groucho Marx knows, and God too, of course.
Thanks for writing this Shannon! Good stuff for this Momma in a new home but letting all the guests in no matter the condition. Candles are lit, pans are in the oven, but there is coffee!
Shannan wow this is just what I needed. How refreshing to know I’m not alone in this. It’s all too easy to get lazy and push the dust puppies under the couch spiritually speaking. But, how much richer and fuller life is if I allow Jesus to “Dunk me. Scrub me. Make me new”. I’m with you and don’t want to waste another day hiding either. So reassuring to know God is ready, anytime we are ready, to dust off our hearts make them shine as new. Thank you for your inspiration.
Sharing the right concept at just the right time to rescue souls teetering on life’s jagged cliffs. Thanking God for you, Shanna, and for His gifts to you for our benefit.
Oops … Sorry about the incorrect name spelling. I know your name well from Jon.
Thanks a bunch for this scripture. It has caused me to reanalyse and readjust my way of life to please and do God’s will even more. Am very much grateful – it’s just what i needed to stay ablaze for Christ.
Shannan,
Lately I’ve been asking God to clean out my heart. It’s so easy to get busy with life and rush through spiritual things. Kind of like checking off boxes on a to-do list. I’ve been busy/preoccupied this month and haven’t taken the proper time to have my God time. Now I want to clean out all the junk & start a new.
Blessings ๐