“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matt 6:6 KJV
I just spent about 2 hours sorting and cleaning my bedroom closet and I’m not finished yet. It’s amazing the articles of clothing, shoes, purses, belts, etc.; a person can accumulate over the years. There were items I hadn’t worn in the last to years that are soon to find a new home. What was I hanging on to them for? I remember a friend once told me, “If you haven’t worn it in a year get rid of it.” Well it’s quite obvious I’ve had a hard a time following her advice.
Since it’s nearly spring, I decided to pack up all my sweaters and coats, boots and winter scarves. I can’t believe I have so many; I live in Florida, why do I even need them? I filled a huge box of things I decided to part with and still my closet is full! What good is a closet full of clothes if you are not wearing them? What good are shoes on the shelf that don’t fit? “But, I may need them someday”, is my answer. Anyone in their right mind would agree that this kind of thinking has got to be a sin!
Holding onto things that are of no use to me, is crazy. After all, there are many people in need of them, and besides they take up precious closet space. With those thoughts in mind, why am I having a hard time parting with those red shoes?
Even though cleaning out my closet is time consuming, it is very necessary. Likewise, cleaning up my life, heart and attitude is just as imperative.
Many times, our days become clogged with tasks, thoughts, and moods, causing our quiet time to suffer. With excess activities, comes less prayer time, and less prayer brings weakness and in weakness we are susceptible to sin. When that happens; it’s time to tackle the beast!
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 KJV
Selfish desires and foolish acts pollute our heart and keep us from God’s blessings. When we sacrifice quiet time, for worldly pleasures, we destroy our relationship with our Savior. When we are lured from what is holy to that which is not, we rob ourselves of God’s light; and that brings separation and often death. So what do we do when we are tempted from all sides?
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Phil 3:13-14 NIV
We must remain focused; persevere, and keep our eyes on Jesus. We must fight all temptation till we drop, and then fight some more. We must never quit. We must never lose hope.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
2 Tim 4:7 KJV
In the quietness of our clean closet, the Lord meets us. In the pureness of our hearts, He lives.
Spring is in the air, what are you waiting for? It’s closet cleaning time, are you ready?
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