A Cleaning Epiphany

I was cleaning the other day. It is something I do all the time but for some reason this day it turned into something different. I decided to work on my dining room. I mean everything in my dining room. I cleaned the ceiling fan, dusted the furniture, cleaned windows, and even scrubbed the table and chairs.

But something happened when I decided to wipe down the baseboards. I got down on my hands and knees to wipe them off and I noticed how absolutely disgusting my walls were. Not the whole wall mind you but everywhere from about three feet and down. So, I set about to not only clean the base boards but also the lower portion of the wall. That is when my mind started going in a different direction. While my hands were busy cleaning the walls, my heart was receiving a message. And it was a hard hitting one.

You see, I never really noticed how dirty the lower portion of my walls were because I walk above them. I am now thinking I should start cleaning on my knees from now on. On the level of my children, you know. That perspective would open a whole new world of chores for me. But how many other things in our life are changed by the perspective?

I may think my house is clean when I walk through it, but if I walked through it on my children’s level would I feel it was the same kind of clean? And then my heart was stirred. You ready for the kicker? It hit me hard. If my house seems clean from my perspective but isn’t from my children’s what does my life look like?

From where I stand it might seem to be in order. Yielding to the will of God. Serving those He brings into it. Even living the “higher calling” that others might not feel the need to lead. But, from God’s perspective is it really in order? Does my life look as “clean” or yeilded to God as it does to me? I strive to live the life that God calls me to and to yeild to His convictions within my life. And while I may tell myself that I am doing well what does God think?

So, I have started looking at my spiritual life from a whole new perspective. From God’s perspective. Trying to view my life as God sees it. Not where do I measure up when it comes to others but where do I measure up compared to where God wants me to be. It has been eye opening. I am seeing that while I strive to climb higher and higher toward the life God wants me live, I am climbing in my own strength and that is wrong.

I must use His strength or there is no way for me to reach the level of “cleanliness” He desires.

Just like I had to get on my knees to see the need to clean my walls, I must get on my knees and serve and grow and live in HIS strength. That is what He is calling me to do. And day by day I must recommit myself to this lifestyle.
So, dear sisters, won’t you too, take on this life of living in HIS strength?
Come and live with me while we live in HIM!!!