Before I had even opened the door and begun walking down the stairs, an awful dread filled my heart. I could ignore the situation no longer—my basement had to be cleaned. With visions of the producers of the infamous show “Hoarders” knocking at my door, I took a deep breath and plunged in. Though I knew I needed help moving things, my pride pushed me to first make everything as presentable as possible.
Surrounded by cleaning solutions, boxes and dirty rags, I couldn’t help but think of how hard we try, on our own, to clean up our lives before coming to God and asking for help. Yet He simply says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Feverishly we work to throw away the garbage, sweep up the clutter, and paint over the dirt. Then we hear His quiet voice again, reminding us that we “are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6). Finally, we simply close the door to the ugly, unkempt dungeon of our hearts and live upstairs rather than admit our need for help. After all, it’s easier to pretend that everything is all right than to face the truth. And the truth is, we need a Savior. We will never find peace with God, forgiveness for our sin and a home in heaven on our own, no matter how hard we try.
The good news is that we don’t have to clean up our act on our own; there is a Savior for us. We are promised that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). When Jesus Christ hung on the cross, He carried the full weight of our sin—every messed-up life, every filthy thought, every whitewashed lie. He has done all the work necessary for the cleansing of our hearts and lives; all we have to do is accept His help. And here is the best part—His gift is more than spring cleaning. He offers us a new life. Consider it an “Extreme Makeover” of the heart. Accept His grace today!
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Article by Melissa Baker, the Music Coordinator at Valley Forge Baptist.
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