Spring Clean Your Soul - The Crosswalk Devotional - March 24
Spring Clean Your Soul
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32, NIV
On a sunny spring day, a beam of sunlight shone into the front hallway of my home, revealing lots of dirt I hadn’t realized was there. Yuck! I thought. It had been easy to ignore my dirty home when I didn’t see what was really there. But now, I took a fresh look around and noticed other parts of my home that needed attention, such as my cluttered living room. Soon after that, I started spring cleaning, but I felt bored while I cleaned – so I let my thoughts wander. It wasn’t long before I found myself ruminating on a situation that made me angry. A family member had mistreated me, and I replayed her behavior over in my mind with bitterness. Then it hit me that I needed to clean more than just my home. I needed to spring clean my soul, as well. Letting anger and bitterness remain in my soul was even more dangerous than allowing dirt and clutter to stay in my home. So, I set my floor mop aside and said a prayer, forgiving my family member and asking the Holy Spirit to renew me.
When we clean our physical spaces, how often do we consider the state of our spiritual spaces? Cleaning our souls is even more important than cleaning our homes, because doing so affects not only our own well-being, but also our relationships with God and others.
Ephesians 4:31-32 urges us to get rid of all the dirty attitudes that are lurking in our minds and instead make healthy choices like being kind to each other and pursuing and practicing forgiveness. These verses are a vital call to action. Just as we need to clean our homes to be healthy physically, we need to clean our souls to be healthy spiritually.
Think about it: a dirty, cluttered home can make us feel stressed and uncomfortable. But an unclean soul creates a much deeper level of stress for us. Bitterness can lead to isolation and loneliness. Uncontrolled anger can destroy families and friendships. Slander can ruin reputations and break relationships. Malice can prevent us from embracing and spreading God’s love. When we allow negative emotions to stay stuck in our souls rather than dealing with them and then clearing them out, that blocks our spiritual growth. Just as physical clutter can prevent us from finding what we need, spiritual clutter interferes with our connection to God. That makes it hard to notice God’s presence with us, which blocks us from experiencing peace and joy.
So, how can you start spring cleaning your soul? First, you need to acknowledge the clutter. Take an honest inventory of your inner life. Are there areas where bitterness lingers in your mind? Do you struggle with anger or resentment? Have you spread gossip or slander?
Next, bring these issues to God in prayer. Confess your struggles and ask for God’s help to clear out unhealthy attitudes and actions from your life. God is the ultimate cleanser, capable of washing away the stains of sin and healing you from pain. Ask God’s Holy Spirit to reveal the root causes of the dirt and clutter in your soul, and to heal you.
Then, make a conscious decision to let go of all the unhealthy stuff that has accumulated in your soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to do whatever you need to do to clean your soul: forgiving people who have hurt you, releasing your anger, choosing to speak kindly instead of gossiping or slandering, and choosing love over malice. Pray for help to grow in holiness, relying on the Holy Spirit to help you develop the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These qualities are like air fresheners for your soul, bringing a refreshing fragrance of God’s presence into your life.
Cleaning your soul is not a one-time event in the spring; it’s an ongoing process for every season. Just as you need to regularly clean your home, you also need to regularly examine your heart and mind, allowing God to cleanse you from sin and bring revival and renewal into your life. As you do, you’ll enjoy the freedom that comes from living without unnecessary stress!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how you can clean your soul, reflect on these questions:
- What areas of your inner life need the most attention this spring?
- Are there any specific relationships where you need to practice more kindness or forgiveness?
- What does it mean to you that Christ forgave you, and how does that motivate you to forgive others?
- What practical steps can you take to replace negative emotions with the fruits of the Spirit?
Further Reading:
Psalm 51:10
Proverbs 4:23
1 John 1:9
Matthew 6:14-15
Colossians 3:13
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Rawpixel
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
