Heart Check

Recently, a hot water heater tank leaked in my basement. It made such a mess. I had to call the insurance company and get things cleaned out. Finally, I was able to have my basement remodeled. It looked lovely. I enjoyed admiring the new fixtures, including the freshly painted walls and flooring.

The boiler and water heater are in a room off to one side in the basement. The boiler room was not part of the remodeling. As I was putting away some things in the boiler room, I was struck by how much clutter and filth there was. The dust seemed a mile high. I said to myself, “I don’t like this part of the basement.” So I tidied it, dusted, washed, and removed some old stuff.

As I was cleaning this unsightly part of my basement, the Lord brought this verse to my mind – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” I started thinking about how I have some clean areas of my life that I let everyone see — I come to church, get dressed up, smile, help out, and give financially to God’s work.

But when I come down to it, I believe that parts of my heart are probably just as dirty and dusty as my basement’s boiler room. These include feelings of resentment, holding grudges, jealousy, and disobedience. It takes time with God to identify the areas in my heart that need cleaning. God gently exposes those things to me gradually as I study the Bible, meditate on His Word, and pray. God uses the power of the Holy Spirit to cleanse and remove those “dirty” elements of my heart as I confess my sins to Him.