Two snail toys, two pencils, a slinky, assorted Lego pieces, a receipt, a plastic bag, a leaf, two marbles, a plastic toy soldier . . . all these and more I have found today as I sweep the cracks and crevices of my house in my weekly cleaning ritual. Now don’t get me wrong, I do light sweeping several times a week for things I can clearly see, but on Friday, me and my family give the entire house a good, deep cleaning and organization. It’s my job to sweep all the floors and clean the bathroom counters.

As I cleaned today, I was amazed at all the things that that broom was able to reach and clean. All of the things that I previously mentioned I couldn’t directly see. They were either under something, behind something, or camouflaged around something. These items were on my floor the entire time but they only came to light when I picked up the broom that I had and used it in a focused and intentional way to do it’s job.

Nice Story, but so What?

Nice story but what does it have to do with my relationship with God? Simply put, in my daily attempts to know God better and love Him more, I seek to walk as closely as I can to Him. T’his means that I don’t want anything—including me—to get in the way of my relationship with Him.

So when I knowingly slip up with Him, I immediately confess my sin and ask Him to forgive me. It’s like generally sweeping up those things that I can see. However, what about those things that I do during the day that I’m not consciously aware of? What about those things that aren’t so readily visible?  What about those snarky, angry, passive-aggressive comments that I tend to make in my impatience, for example?  Or, what about what seems like a million little particles of distraction as I frantically and frenetically move through my day?

Giving God the Broom

To fix this problem I intentionally create some margin in each day. At the end of the day I get alone, still, and willingly give God the broom. Then, I plead with God to search and sweep me clean of all those thoughts, motivations, words and actions that I miss.

Down through the years, folks who wrote about knowing God better (they called themselves “theologians”) have called this the “spiritual discipline” of confession and repentance.  Out of all the things I do to know God better every day, this and prayer are the two most difficult. I can’t speak for you, but I find it real hard to slow down, and stop, and then consciously give somebody permission to dig around the cob-webbed corners of my crazy, crooked, mind. It takes discipline!

Work Hard at Being Still!

Well, how do you do it? I’ll tell you my method and then you can find your own that works for you. I work really hard at being really still! I lay in my bed, stare at the ceiling, and I simply pray (out loud):

“God, I want to know you better. Please calm my mind and help me to listen to your voice. I am ready and willing to confess and repent of anything and everything I’ve done that puts an obstacle between me and You.”

Some nights it may take me a good 20-30 minutes to calm my mind down, and that’s why it’s important that you think deeply and seriously about this habit. There is a real price to pay. It means that you have to put a relationship with God above all the other things that you do as you wind down in the evening. If you do it too early, then you’re mind’s not calm enough, but if you do it too late, then you end up falling asleep. Truthfully, it took me several weeks to get the timing right.

The Most Dangerous Verse

Once God finally gets my mind calm, I recite what I like to call “the most dangerous verse in the Bible:” “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalms 139: 23-24, NIV). It’s dangerous because you’ve just given God permission to really do His work of deep cleaning with the broom He calls “The Holy Spirit.”

More About “The Broom”

The Holy Spirit is God. He does many things but all his work is for one thing only—to glorify Jesus and make him real to his people. The work of the Holy Spirit includes conviction of sin (John 16:8), regeneration (John 3:5, 6), assurance of salvation (Romans 8:16), enlightenment (John 16:13), transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18), fruitfulness (Galatians 5: 22, 23), gifting (1 Corinthians 12:7), and empowerment (Acts 1:8). However all these works are for one reason—to glorify Jesus and make His power real in the lives of His people.

Willing to Do What It Takes?

If God knows you’re serious about having a relationship with Him and that you’re willing to do what it takes, I promise you that He will honor your commitment to the relationship. For me, God immediately begins to bring to my mind things that I’ve done that have separated me from Him. Sometimes it’s things that I need to confess and repent to God and ask His forgiveness, but then other times it’s things that I need to confess and ask others for their forgiveness. Whatever. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it. I usually keep some paper and something to write with to make sure that I follow up properly.

You see, this whole thing is about restoring relationships. When I work to restore my relationship to God, by extension my relationships with others become better. Jesus loved you and me so much that He came to this earth and took our death so we could have an opportunity to have a relationship with Him (John 3:16-17).

“I Triple-Dog Dare You!”

So today, I want to encourage and challenge you . . . no, I want to triple-dog dare you to give God the broom. You’ll be amazed at the you that He sweeps into view!

 

 

Revisit the literature that set you free–or set you on fire!

 

They Walked in the Spirit: Personal Faith and Social Action in America

Author: Douglas M. Strong, PhD

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997

One sentence summary: Dr. Strong shows us, through historical examples, that the Holy
Spirit empowers Christians to work for God. They don’t have to choose from the false dichotomy between social activism and personal faith.

 What are the main concerns being addressed?

History exposes the divide among American Christians regarding whether to take public stances on social issues. Many wondered whether they could maintain a personal faith and evangelistic zeal. Some see social justice as a diversion from the gospel, and others see it as the essence of the gospel. Some of the more socially engaged have become known as Progressive and have a reputation of being weak on Biblical teachings. Those sometimes known as Conservative (or Fundamentalist, or Evangelical) have a reputation for being rigid on doctrine, and weak or even resistant to acting on behalf of social justice.

Were these concerns clearly stated? Yes, They Walked in the Spirit shows these concerns and debates are more than 150 years old.

What are the book’s strengths and contributions?

It shows how the Holy Spirit worked through women and men of different denominations, education levels, races, classes to defy the false choice between personal piety and social action. Short biographies of eight individuals give an overview into the historical and social setting for each person. And, they provide insight into their conversion experiences and calls to ministry. We imagine hearing them in person as we sample selections of their writings and speeches. All the examples show unique ways in which God worked on people’s hearts to make differences in their communities. Instead of sacrificing their religious convictions, it was their inner convictions that led them to action. To neglect outward expression would lead to spiritual loss and to neglect inner devotion would lead to shallow and futile social action.

 What were some good conscience quickening quotes from the book? 

• “[T]he oppression of the wronged, the cruelty of the oppressor, the sorrows of the oppressed… in all of this, the Christian sees, more and more, of the work for God and for humanity, that needs to be done” (p. 4, William Goodell).
• “The blood of Jesus will not only purge your conscience from the guilt of sin, and from dead works, but it will destroy the very root of sin that is in the heart, by faith, so that you may serve the living God in the beauty of holiness” (p. 27, Julia A. Foote).
• “The Pentecostal power, when you sum it all up, is just more of God’s love. If it does not bring more love, it is simply a counterfeit… Pentecost… brings us all into one common family” (p. 47, William Seymour).
• “It is a social job, this job of the evangelist – it is a bigger thing than merely urging ‘individuals to accept Christ.’ He must be interested in raising the manner of living for the entire city” (p. 62, Charles Stelzle)
• “Religious fervor… is attended by a vicious danger of spiritual egotism, unless it leads to social action. But… social action is in the long run unmotivated and perilous unless it draws from deep wells of religious faith” (p. 74, Vida Scudder).
• “Every nation has its peculiar contribution to make to the interpretation of Christianity…Those that differ from us most will probably contribute most to our expression of Christianity” (p. 86, E. Stanley Jones).

What was so liberating about the book? It’s good to know that we don’t have to settle for oversimplified choices society (even church society) may try to force us into. Humbly recognizing how God can empower people of diverse backgrounds and denominations to bring spiritual renewal and social redemption helps us see Him more fully and be better rounded ourselves.

http://https://youtu.be/J2WuUTJNP_8