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“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. “ Ephesians 3:16-17

This is going to sound strange, but I absolutely love to de-clutter, purge and deep clean. Maybe that doesn’t sound too odd to you…but I really, really love doing that in other people’s homes. Ask my friend, Wendy. It was sheer bliss for me to work alongside her for 10 hours as we went through every kitchen cabinet—emptying, purging, cleaning, and reorganizing. Ahhhh.

When our house is cleaned out and decluttered, “home” is so much more comfortable. We have peace, contentment, and joy. Plus, it’s so much easier to keep tidy—when junk is dropped on the floor or shoved in a corner, it stands out like a sore thumb, so we take care of it. (As opposed to that same item simply being added to an existing pile…I mean, at that point, what’s the difference between a two-foot stack and a three-foot stack?)

What’s the spiritual lesson here? At salvation (the moment we recognize ourselves as sinners and accept the free gift of grace from Jesus Christ), a believer becomes indwelt with the Holy Spirit—God lives in us! Amazing! He abides in us, giving us comfort, discernment, direction, and conviction. But how comfortable and at home is He?

At salvation, we are made new, transformed—we move from death to life, darkness to light. But, because we still live in our earth-bound fallen bodies, we have to do a little “housework” when it comes to our new life and walking in obedience to the Lord. So, whether you gave your life to Christ 50 years ago or yesterday, let’s talk about doing some soul-level purging.

Have we cleaned out the clutter of the world from our lives—stuff that doesn’t glorify God, as well as the idols we prioritize over Him? Is his voice of conviction drowned out by the clamor of culture? Have we swept every corner of our hearts clean, so that He can fill that space with His residency? Or are there closed doors, rooms that we’ve padlocked, piled high with old, comfortable habits, hidden lusts, or cherished sins?

Friend, open up those rooms! Let the Holy Spirit do some serious housecleaning. Just as a clutter-free home is easier to keep tidy, so is our soul. The unrighteous thoughts, words, and actions of the old self are easier to spot against the backdrop of a pure Holy Spirit controlled space. And you will be quicker to sweep them out.

Side note: I can assure you that if you do the work to purge your heart of sin and unrighteousness—which is a good thing—but you do not surrender to the Holy Spirit and give Him total access to every nook and cranny, worldly clutter will quickly return. In fact, all you’re doing is making room for greater sin, more idols, and bigger lusts. By the way, the enemy of your soul loves a nice clutter-free space to abide in as well (Matthew 12:43-45). Your purged home must be filled with the Holy Spirit and that only happens when you give your life to Jesus.

If you have not done so, give your life to Jesus today. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He made a way of reconciliation for you with God. No work on your part required! And you get God living in you, through the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and power to live out your soul-transformation and glorify God. If you are already a Christian, how “at home” is the Holy Spirit in you? Is it time for a good deep-cleaning heart purge? Clean out the clutter you’re still holding onto. Surrender and submit to the Holy Spirit, so He can make Himself at home…and you can experience the peace, contentment, and joy He longs to give you.

“Lord, I surrender to You—create in me a pure heart (Psalm 51:10), so that I can walk according to Your Word and Your will.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life