Clean House

I remember one of my first AA meetings somebody said that if I really wanted a different life it came down to these three things:

TRUST GOD

CLEAN HOUSE

HELP OTHERS

 

 

For me, to "trust God" means I daily acknowledge that God knows better than I.  I daily give God the reins; which is harder than it sounds here for this control freak.  It means I don't have to know the how, what, when, where, why or who before I trust Him.  It means I let go of me.

 



"Help others" is pretty simple - just do it.  I may not be able to save everyone but I can make a difference in one. 

 

"Clean House" is a whole different bowl of wax!

 

There are days when the lady in this picture should look like me!  It is easier to dream about a clean house than actually doing it. 

 

There are times when I really think this might be the ticket and then I could start over:

Really, though, I am referring to a different house.  The house that is inside me that can get pretty cluttered up and dusty. 

In my physical home, I have places that I pretend aren't there because then I would have to actually open up those boxes from five years ago... or are those the boxes from when I was single; which would make them 10 years old?  Please tell me they aren't the ones from my childhood bedroom...

So it is with my spiritual home.  I see something that I don't want to deal with so I pretend it's not there; just like my dusty boxes storing who knows what but there's a 99% chance it's garbage. 

This week, I have cleaned house.  Actually, God cleaned my house. 

Ready for what I would rather NOT tell you?  It's easier to tell you how well I am doing and how much I am growing as a follower of Christ!  And those things are true!  Honest!

Here goes.  I'm going to share this with you, one, because I feel so FREE and two, somebody else might be struggling with something similar. 

"Get on with it," you say!

I got rid of a bunch of books. 

Books that I should not have had.  Books I would NEVER allow my daughters to read.  EVER. 

They didn't go to the library.  I didn't list and sell them on eBay.  They are destroyed!

It's been a long time coming.  I knew I would need to "go through that area" sometime but had no idea it would be this week.  Or yesterday, for that matter. 

It was crazy.  I was doing my Bible Study, James Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore.  There was nothing specific to smut books in the study and I can't tell you what prompted it but God spoke and there was no ignoring the Master!

I got up, got a garbage bag and commenced to destroy every book that:
1) I would not allow my girls to read
2) I would not have sitting on my coffee table
3) I would be embarrassed if someone "caught" me reading it
Those are the queries I am going by on if I should read a book. 

You wouldn't believe that sneaky snake Satan, either.  He tried to tempt me into reading them "one more time" since it had been awhile and I "couldn't remember what they were about."  The Holy Spirit came to life inside me and I was able to speak out loud and rebuke the devil. 

I am not going to say what you should or should not read.  All I know for me is, I was reading things that were not good.  It was sin and there is such a relief at having that part gone.

I've been so careful and strict about what movies and music "goes in" and finally, my books are going in the same category.  Romans 12:2 is my prayer right now.  (Well, one of them.)  I AM different.  I am NOT like everybody else.  I am an heir to Heaven and a Princess of THE KING. 

Is there an area in your life that God is prompting you to clean?  Don't delay, it is SO worth it.  Guilt is from Satan.  Don't let the devil beat you down if there is something you need to get rid of.  Take it to the dump and breathe in that fresh scent that comes from just washing the windows. 

Freedom is in Christ!