Deep Clean

One of the joys and burdens of being around the house more often is actually seeing what it looks like sometimes. So many times we just run in and run out and pay little, to no, attention to how dirty it is.

Even if you clean regularly there are probably things that still go unnoticed.

My wife is very diligent about cleaning regularly, and I am occasionally drafted in to help. Admittedly, I do not always want to. “It looks fine to me!”

That usually doesn't get any traction though. The problem is just because I don't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't dirty.

The other day I was vacuuming the living room and no matter how much I vacuumed I never seemed to get everything up off the floor.

We have two golden retrievers which are known to shed like crazy, but you don't often see the hair because of the carpet. The hair on the carpet sort of blends in. The hair on the hardwood floor however is very obvious.

While vacuuming I was forced to empty the vacuum cleaner several times because there was so much hair in it that I was basically just pushing the dog hair around.

But again the carpet looks clean. Then it happened...

I ran my shoe across the floor and more dog hair came up. Finally, I had pushed it all up to the surface and was able to vacuum it up.

Then I moved about our living room pushing up the dog hair and vacuuming it up. Once again our house was clean.

Over the years I have heard many people say that they are not good enough for God to forgive them. That Jesus couldn't possibly love them.

They say things like, “God could never love me” or “Do you know the things I have done?”

But here is the truth: Jesus does love you. He does forgive you. Of everything!

This is not a surface-level forgiveness and cleansing. It is a deep-rooted-get-everything-up-to-the-top- forgiveness that allows Him to “vacuum it up” and dump it in the eternal garbage can.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

While we were still sinners.

Not after we are cleansed, made perfect, or forgiven. We are cleansed, perfected, refined, renewed, and forgiven because of His love for us. That is what the cross and resurrection are all about.

Stand firm and know that God can, and will, cleanse and forgive you of your deep-rooted “stuff” because of how much He loves you.

Anyway, I was just thinking...