What are you hiding in your heart
There’s one spot forgotten on our spring cleaning checklists, and it happens to be the most important: our hearts. It doesn’t matter how clean your house is if your heart is covered in cobwebs. Take a journey with me as we focus on throwing open the windows of our hearts to let in the Light!
It’s Time to Dig In and Dig Out
I’m good at going through my day, my week, my life happy. I’m great at being real enough that I don’t portray perfection, but not so real that we discuss the messy stuff.
The problem is that on some level, I’m pretending. I’m pretending everything is fine. I’m pretending I don’t get jealous and envy what others have. I’m pretending that my anger doesn’t claw its way out of me regularly. I’m pretending I don’t pretend.
It’s like we spend our lives washing one side of our hands only to ignore how dirty the other side is.
But this is why we are here. It’s time to be real, really real, and it’s for one important reason:
So people can see Jesus.
Before we can get any further in our Heart Cleaning, we need to dig in our heels and decide it’s time to dig out. It’s time to empty every shelf, closet, and let light under the layers we’ve built up in our hearts.
It won’t be all bad. Sometimes we find treasures and old gifts among the broken pieces and things we’d rather leave hidden. Right now we don’t need to decide what’s what. All we need to do is decide to go through it all.
When I dig out, I find so many things I don’t like:
- I get jealous of what other people have
- I am insanely insecure and fear those I love leaving me
- I get really mad sometimes
- I wish my house was nicer, newer, prettier
- I wish I was nicer, newer, prettier
- I don’t always like church
I find a few things in there I’ve forgotten, too:
- I am a good leader
- I am smart
- I am good at baking
- I am happily married
- I am a good mom
When I take all of this out and line it up in the light, it’s not nearly as intimidating as when it was in the crooks of my heart.
Get it out into the light. Whatever it is; the things you don’t like and the things you do. Once it’s in the light, you can decide what to do with it.
Today’s prayer:
Lord, help me unpack all the stuff in my heart.
I give You all the good, bad, and everything in between because I long for You to make something beautiful out of all the pieces.
Thank You for loving all the parts of me. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Accompanying bible verse
AMP version
Psalms 32:1-7
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.[b]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Spring Cleaning for Your Heart – A 5-day devotional- Day 3
Read or listen to the full devotional in the YouVersion Bible App
Plan written by Rebecca Hastings. To hear and read more from her visit: http://rebeccahastings.net/