“Spiritual Housecleaning”

It won’t be long before our thoughts turn to Spring, which inevitably involves a

bit of housecleaning. Even in Southwest Florida, the winter months are hard on

our houses because we tend to keep things tightly shut so the cold doesn’t get the

best of us. But when Spring arrives, we’re ready to open the windows and let a bit

of fresh air back in.

I think the same is true when it comes to our souls. Winter can be a difficult

season, spiritually and emotionally speaking. There have been ample studies

done on the correlation between the winter season and lowered emotional states.

Both the colder weather and the shorter amount of daylight work together to

bring down our attitudes and perspectives. But when Spring arrives, it’s not just

the flowers and trees that begin to show signs of renewed growth. So do our

souls.

As we have moved into February, I know you are anticipating an end to the cold

weather. While according to the calendar, Spring doesn’t technically arrive until

next month, Christians who follow a sacred calendar mark the days by observing

a salvation story grounded in grace and truth. According to that calendar, the

time has come to contemplate how to rid our souls of the grime and filth that

keep us from living with the abundance our faith in Jesus promises to bring.

The season of Lent begins on February 18 this year, which is somewhat earlier

than in years past. If you’re unfamiliar with Lent, don’t bother to look in your

concordance or Bible dictionary for an explanation. There was no such

observance in Bible times. However, strong evidence exists that early Christians

spent time fasting for the 40 hours between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Later, when the initial rush of Resurrection adrenaline was over, and Christians

had begun to get complacent about their faith, church leaders saw the need to

institute a season of prayer and self-denial, when Jesus followers could prepare

themselves – heart, soul, mind, and body – so that the hard, buried bulbs of our

souls might come into full flower. Think of it as spiritual housecleaning where we

invite the Holy Spirit into those places where dust and cobwebs have

accumulated to clear away the clutter, sweep away the dust, and wash us clean.

I find a joyful irony in the fact that Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, falls

this year just days after Valentine’s Day. While most folk around us will still be

enjoying the Valentine’s candy and cards, some of us will be directing our

thoughts to how God opened His heart to us by sending Jesus to be the means to our salvation. Not that there’s anything wrong with candy and cards, but the greatest expression of love was what happened at Calvary, where “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son” (John 3:16) and where “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John15:13). So, don’t let the chill of life get the best of you. The warm breezes of hope and joy are always near. Even now, you can open your heart and let Easter hope make everything seem fresh and new once again.