Cleanup

Scriptures: “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if you whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” (Luke 11:35-36)

Over the weekend, I did some long overdue backyard work. I moved some plants to different locations, built a rack for our grapevine, and planted some new flowers. At the end of the work, I was exhausted. So, I went over to some chairs we have in the backyard, thinking I might be able to find some rest and enjoy the work done.

Then, I found these chairs were all dusty with spider webs. So, I had to wash and clean these chairs before I could even sit on them for a rest. I asked myself, “When was the last time you sat on any one of these chairs? Why are they so dirty?” I realized that the reason they were so dirty was because I had not checked on them for so long. So, I told myself to check on them at least once a week so I can be sure I can use them whenever I need to.

I think, in many ways, our spiritual life is the same. There are sins that we thought we have dealt with or that there are things we thought are in good order. But, when things come up, we are surprised to find that we are not as ready as we think.

Sometimes, we keep a regular bible study schedule. We started out with praying for understanding and applying correct study method. We keep our schedule and pray everyday. We stick to the methodology. But, somewhere along the way, our prayers and methodology became routine, and the schedule became habit.

We are still able to come up with new understanding from our analysis. But, somewhere along the way, the excitement of meeting the Lord was lost unknowingly. And, yet, we think we are doing pretty good, never bother to re-examine the true state of spiritual health.

Sometimes a ministry can be doing so well that everything seems to be taken care of systematically, without us having to worry about them. But, so often, when we operate in an Automatic mode, we don’t think about the spirit and the purpose of our ministry and the whole operation can become bureaucratic. This is true of any ministry, even for local churches.

Just like our annual health check, every once in a while, we need to stop, take time out and reflect on our spiritual condition. We need to come before the Word of God to see if there are spots in our daily walk with God that are not in order. We need to come before our Lord and ask for His power to help us to “fan into flame the gift of God” (II Timothy 1:6) so we may serve with passion and urgency.

Jesus said, “See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.” (Luke 11:35) May God help us so we can truly be the light of the world because we are willing to take time out to make sure our spiritual life is in order.

Prayer Requests:
For those seeking close fellowship in and with our Lord Jesus

Prayer:
Our gracious Lord, thank You for the living and the written Word. As we receive these wonderful blessings from You, help us to be committed to an intimate and meaningful relationship with You through meditation and reflection in the truth You have given us for we desire to exalt You in everything we do in life. Thank You for being our Lord and Savior. In the precious name of our Lord Jesus we pray, Amen!