Spring Clean

What a fabulous start to HOPE church Malmesbury! God has given Hope church such a “family” atmosphere. People are mingling, getting to know each other or renewing old acquaintances and the children are relaxed, playing happily, enjoying the music and activities provided for them during the service. It is delightful - the family of God, together, in His presence.

In a family home there are tasks to accomplish, some are more attractive than others... Today I decided to spring clean my bedroom – clutter has been collecting in that room since we moved things to create storage for all the church equipment. Everything seems to have ended up in my room! – Anyway it felt good to actually take time to deal with it. And it occurred to me that this is something we could all be doing individually – Giving ourselves a spiritual spring clean! Ephesians 4:17-24 “No longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts... That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ ... Put off your old self... Be made new in the attitude of your minds; and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Each of us accumulates all sorts of things that shape and clutter our thinking. The clutter might come from friends, gossip, books or the papers we read, the radio, Internet or the TV. Some of what we’ve absorbed into our minds is useful and necessary - but an awful lot is junk.

So, this April, I suggest you start a mind spring-clean. Question where thoughts and prejudices have come from then throw out those that are obstacles to your forward movement or are cluttering up your perspective. Go back to the Bible - Does this thought or belief hold up in the light of God’s word? That is our only authority. Anything that isn’t supported in the Word should be thrown out.

2 Corinthians 10:5 “we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.”

And you can work through your mind room by room... Perhaps start in the Prayer room of your mind: “What’s my attitude to prayer? Why? What does the word say?” – (At Hope church this Sunday, 14th April, we are teaching on prayer) - Then move on to the next “room” in your mind... Challenge your own thoughts and attitudes about yourself / finances / free time / other people...etc... – Bring it all in line with the word of God and you will feel cleaner and ready for all the new stuff God wants to give you this coming year.                               Colossians 3:1-17

Happy Spring cleaning! :-)