2015-08- 02 ~ Clean Room ~ Clean Heart

Clean Room…Clean Heart Do you ever make a mess with your toys and clothes? If you do, does anyone ever say, “Go clean your room!” Why is it important? If you throw all your clothes down, will you have clean, tidy clothes to wear when it is time to leave? If all your toys are in the floor, it may be dangerous because you could slip and fall. You also may break your toys by stepping on them. When our homes are a big mess, our needs aren’t met, and we are in danger. This is why our parents care. God is just like that! Our hearts are similar to our rooms. God knows how things need to flow for us to be healthy and safe. Just like our parents give us instructions on keeping our home clean so we can be healthy, God has done the same. In His word, He has given us instructions on how we should live. He tells us to always love Him more than anything else because He knows He’s the only one who can love us and handle every problem we have. If we don’t look to Him, we won’t have our needs met. Only He can meet them. He tells us what things will harm us: lying, cheating, stealing, disobeying, etc. These are things God knows will hurt us. He doesn’t want us hurt, so He gives us directions to keep us safe. When you are told to clean up your mess, how does it make you feel? Are you ever angry or lazy and don’t want to do it? Many times we are even upset someone would say our room is a mess at all. When we have been in our room a long time, we may not even realize it is. It is normal to us, but those not in our room can see what a mess it is and how dangerous it is. The same is true in our lives. God has told us how to live. He has given very specific instructions. Many times, when someone realizes God says they aren’t to do something they’ve done a long time or something they enjoy, they get angry. “What makes God think He can tell me what to do?" Sometimes, they don’t want to obey because of all the work it takes to change. Let’s remember why God wants us to live a certain way. God wants us to be healthy and safe. He wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him and great relationships with those around us. He desires for us to have joy with all our needs met. Because He is God, He knows what it will take for those things to happen. Because He loves us, He has written it all down. We need to obey His rules, because they are the way to the life we really want. When you are struggling because you don’t want to obey a rule God has given, remember your heart is like your room. When you obey God, He cleans your heart so it is a safe and healthy place. It still may not be easy. Doing the right thing is hard work. Ask Jesus to help you!