Let God Do a Deeper Cleaning in You 

Last weekend one of my daughters had some workers coming over to her house to do what she described as a “deep cleaning”. They would be going beyond the regular housekeeping chores to perform a more extensive job of ridding the premises of any impurities, even in the hard-to-reach crevices or the oft-neglected recesses of the home. She was having it done at this particular time so as to get ready for the upcoming active holiday season with decorations being displayed and family gatherings taking place. As I spoke to her the day prior to their arrival, interestingly enough she was busy doing some of the more typical chores of tidying up in order to make preparation for the more thorough job this crew would be doing.

I like that idea of a “deep cleaning”, not just in reference to the extra cleansing our houses need at times, but also in connection with our spiritual wellbeing and our relationship with the Lord. Too many of us tend to be content with simply keeping the surface of our lives cleaned up. We focus only on our outward behavior or the blemishes that can be easily seen in our lives – losing our temper again, saying hurtful words, indulging in some activity we know is not pleasing to the Lord. We seek God’s forgiveness. We may even pray for His cleansing, but looking solely for Him to wipe away the stain and helping us not to make that same mess quite so often in the future. Unfortunately, that is as far as many of us go and that is where we choose to stop. 

We need to look beyond the superficial and trust the Lord to do a deeper cleaning in our lives. Yes, our behaviors need to change. However, the root of the problem goes beyond our actions and has to do with our hearts and minds. What we say and do rises up from what is found in our inner being – our thoughts, our attitude, our motives, our desires, our affections. We need to seek the deeper cleaning of a purified heart, a renewed mind, and a greater love for our God and for doing His will.

When King David repented over his sin of adultery, he went beyond merely asking forgiveness for his actions, as important as that was. In the psalm written on that occasion, he prayed for God to wash him thoroughly. Part of his prayer was, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). He knew that he needed a deeper cleansing than simply wiping away the stain of his adulterous act and its murderous cover-up. He needed a work to be done in his heart and spirit.

The Apostle Paul urged the Roman believers, “Do not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). In other words, “Don’t let the world shape you into its mold or appearance.” Nevertheless, Paul didn’t stop there. He continued, “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” They needed to do more than just not act like the unbelievers around them They needed to experience an inner change – that is where the most significant transformation occurs.

Maybe we have been dealing only with those superficial, daily stains that crop up in our lives. Let’s seek a deeper cleaning. Let’s yield ourselves to the Lord, let Him show us what is in our innermost being, and let Him do a work of transformation there.

“Lord, don’t just forgive me – cleanse me! Don’t just alter my behavior – change my heart! Renew my mind! Work on my attitude! Give me a greater love for You and a greater desire to do Your will! Lord, do a deep cleaning in me today!”