On the desk in my apartment sits a great big canvas that I painted myself that reads: “It is well with my soul.” I love the old hymn; I need to be reminded of those words every day.
My desk is always the most cluttered space in my apartment. If it begins to get messy, hilariously enough, the word “soul” starts to disappear. I go about my business, putting my loose papers and odds and ends on the desk until one day I open my eyes and realize the canvas says, “It is well with my.” With my what? With my junk? With my clutter?
Then I take a sobering look around the rest of my apartment. Dirty dishes are piled up. Garbage needs to be taken out. Laundry needs to be put in its proper place. My bathroom could use a scrub. The clutter on the desk is rarely relegated to just the desk. My apartment is messy. It’s gross. And it doesn’t smell very great.
My mother is a very tidy human being. Even in the midst of a busy life with three kids, Mom managed to keep the house remarkably spotless when we were growing up. It wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty close. I didn’t always like making my bed every morning or cleaning up my Barbies before dinnertime. But in our house, it’s just what we had to do. Mom always said that the space you occupy is a reflection of what is inside of you. If your living space was tidy, then so was your brain and your heart.
As a kid, I got really frustrated with this notion. I knew where all my stuff was hiding. It was organized chaos. I could clean up if I wanted to clean up. Plus, it was my life and my space, MOM!
But now, when I look around my apartment, I get it. When I live in the midst of chaos, it’s harder to sort out the chaos in my brain. It’s difficult to process new information, or to feel calm and rested. It’s difficult to recharge and relax when the space around me is cluttered with useless junk. I can’t grow when my space is gross.
Maybe — just maybe — my mother was right. Maybe when my living space is a chaotic mess, it’s more of a reflection of what’s going on inside than I realize. If I’m neglecting certain things in life, I’m likely neglecting others.
I can’t snap my fingers and magically have a clean apartment. It’s not how the job gets done. I have to work hard. I sweat a little. It takes time to rid my space of dirt and grime. And, like having a clean apartment, keeping your spirit fresh and renewed doesn’t just happen. It’s hard work.
When I let the grime — temptation, past hurts, grudges, shame — build up inside, and don’t work on cleaning it up, my character starts to stink. Things begin to rot and get gross.
I can’t suddenly fix everything, but I can put in the time and effort that is necessary. I can pray earnestly. I can read and study, I can spend time with inspiring people. And I can ask God to continue to clean up this mess that is me. He’s the only One who can make this dirty soul clean again. And sometimes, all the work I need to do is to just get out of the way and let Him do His thing.
Don’t be fooled — this takes effort. It feels never-ending, because as soon as you’ve worked to clean something up, something else looks dirty. But my friends, it’s necessary. It’s vital to sweep the floors of our insides and throw open the curtains to let some sun in. It’s time to put a little elbow grease into our relationship with our Creator that will bring us renewal. It’s time to clean up.
