Freshen Up
Brandon Neloms of Pooler, GA, USA
You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -Ephesians 4:22-24
When I was young boy, my mother would always make us get up early and clean the house on Saturday mornings. She had loud gospel music playing in the background, usually Shirley Caesar. I had the mom that vacuumed a few times a week just to see the lines in the carpet, so you know my Saturday mornings involved rubber gloves, furniture polish, and a lot of window cleaner. It was a weekly tradition my entire adolescent life.
Every March, we would DEEP clean. This included everything from getting rid of old items, giving away clothes, cleaning cobwebs, and rearranging furniture. Most people would call this “spring cleaning,” but my mom would just say, “We need to freshen up our home.”
Her words still ring in my ear today whenever I’m cleaning or donating something or making big decisions. Sometimes we need to freshen up our lives by getting rid of old ways that hold us back. We need to reassess some relationships that aren’t benefiting our future. We need to think about the habits that are destroying us. We need to develop new mindsets from the ones that keep us locked in place and not getting better. It may be time for some of us to freshen up our choices. Doing this may show us that sometimes a quality “spring cleaning” or “life cleaning” is good for us all.
Prayer Phrase
Help us see beyond our dark places and find our way closer to your loving light.
Spiritual Practice
Healing for Broken Spirits
Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
