"for, ‘Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’"
-Romans 10:13
It’s time to clean my room. The clothes thrown all over the place papers all over my desk, and inches of dust are my reminders that the time has come. As a kid I didn’t mind cleaning my room. In fact, I usually did it every week. I always had to dust, pick-up, and finally vacuum, when all of the above were finished. Now, it just doesn’t seem that easy. Papers pile up, while cakes of dust beckon to me to save their souls from the dust rag. And I think, "I’m busy now, I’ll do it tomorrow." But tomorrow, I think that I’ll do it the next day. And on and on goes the cycle, while my room gets worse and worse. Why do I so hate to clean my room? I think because I’ve grown accustomed to it. I forget what it’s like having a neat room. I like having my papers easily in reach. I don’t mind things cluttered on the floor. I don’t have the time to do it, so I say. Or maybe, I don’t want to find the time. I have to give up my precious time that’s filled with schedules galore, not to mention going to school for five days a week, eight hours a day and working two days a week after school. Then comes youth group and church for about six hours a week and on and on. The schedule builds up and I never get around to the necessities. However, the greatest reason remains, I don’t want the hardships that come with cleaning my room. All of the papers that I don’t really want to throw away and all of the clothes that I don’t really want to pickup. I don’t want to admit my room needs the deep cleaning. Along the way, I do things to help it stay neat. I might pickup a paper or two every couple of weeks to make it look good, but the dust remains. I may pick up my clothes every three or four days, but the dust still remains. The dust remains to taunt me. It lets me know that a deep cleaning is needed. And finally, after every several months, I decide to clean.
There are, in my mind, three types of people in the world today, those who have neat rooms, those who have messy rooms and want them cleaned up, and those who try to make their rooms as dirty as possible. So goes it with our faith. The people who have neat rooms never lie, steal, cheat, or gossip. They pray constantly and reading their Bible is necessary, every day. They are in tune with God and their rooms are neat and tidy. They clean their room every night and make sure that it’s it in tip-top condition in the morning. They go to bed with nothing on their hearts.
Next are the people who want their rooms cleaned up. Their rooms are cluttered up with gossip, lying, inconsistent Bible reading, etc. They want to come back to God, but it’s too painful of a journey. They can’t seem to let go of their strongholds or ask God’s forgiveness. Why you ask? Because it’s hard to admit failure or defeat. It’s not easy relying on someone else to keep you strong and help you make it through the struggles. But the longer they put it off, the harder it gets. The more hardships they encounter, and the greater sins they commit bring them one step farther from being close with God. What can they do? It’s not easy. They must find time to give everything to God. They may think they’ve fooled Him by picking up a paper or two, but He sees the dust. He knows the truth.
Finally are the people who have dirty rooms and no intention of cleaning up. Maybe they’re rebellious, maybe they’ve had a tough childhood. Maybe they haven’t heard about God and the miracles that He works in people’s lives. Maybe they don’t believe in God. Whatever the problem, they want to clutter their rooms to cover up the pain. They can’t see God, who is symbolized by the floor. They see the years of hatred and humility covering the hardwood. What can they do? Or, what can we do for them? Pray for them. Maybe help pick up a piece of paper or two. Forgive them for what they may have done to us. Be a friend. Love them. Care for them. Pray for them. The greatest thing that we can do for them is witness to them with our daily actions. We’ve all heard of the phrase "Actions speak louder than words." In this case, that phrase is very true. When these people see us not only talking the talk, but walking the walk, they will wonder. They will yearn to know what we have inside us. What helps us stand up for our beliefs, show caring, and love to all. How can we do this? By keeping our rooms clean.
Now comes the tough question. How does your room look? Does it need a little tidying? Are the papers growing? How thick is the dust? Take time to clean up your room. The dirtier it gets, the harder it is to clean. The messier it becomes, more pain is involved in finding the floor. Make sure you can see the hardwood showing through. Make sure that your papers are put away. Make sure that your heart has been dusted off. Make sure you clean your room every day. Take some time out of your very busy schedule to wipe down the walls with the cleanser called the Holy Spirit. Let it change the aroma of your room so that everyone can smell it from a mile away.
What should you do if you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Take heart, you’re only a prayer away. All you need to do is say that you believe in God. Say that you believe His son, Jesus, was sent to the earth to pay the penalty for our sins. You must confess your sins to God and be willing to let Him live inside of you. Let Him into your bedroom. Finally, you need to make a commitment to God that you will read His word, pray daily, and let Him take control of your life.
If you’ve asked Christ into your life before, then don’t forget that your room can always be cleansed. It’s never to late and especially never too early. God doesn’t care who you are or what your past looks like. He can always use you for His work. Let God clean your room for you today.
Seth Bartal
2/9/97