Surface Cleaning...

The expression "surface cleaning" is immediately understood by busy moms and homemakers alike. There are days when cleaning things only on their surfaces is a major achievement! With so many obligations to meet, busy schedules to juggle and lives to manage, surface cleaning seems like an easy and almost necessary solution.
Here's why I hate surface cleaning.
I've moved a few times in my life. As far as I'm concerned, I keep a moderately neat home. However, without fail, when it's time to pack up and move from a space, everything that was hidden beneath the surface of things: behind the fridge, under the bed, between the dresser and wall, suddenly comes into plain view. It's quite unbelievable just how much stuff can accumulate under beds, sofas, chairs and dressers over a period of time. You can clean the surface faithfully and daily...
But if you overlook what's underneath the surface and WITHIN it...
You're missing a ton of debris.
Matthew 23:28 puts it this way: "In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness".
Jesus was referring to the scribes and pharisees in this particular discourse but it bears mentioning and application to our own lives. At some point, we've all been guilty of living religious and good looking lives that appeared to be all together lovely on their surfaces. But once our lives were held up under the light of God's Word, the cracks, dents, and dirt became more and more evident. Once the Water of the Word begins to wash us, we begin to see all of the filth and debris our hearts have held on to for so long.
Surface cleaning is quick and easy.
But surface cleaning doesn't clean.
It deceives.
God wants to move us from a life that looks good to a life that IS good. He wants to not only cleanse us from all unrighteousness but to make us righteous. His plan for us is to give us a future full of hope and authenticity in Him. The life that we live through and by His Son Jesus will be real, whole and genuine.
The inside will match the outside.
No more dealing with just the surface. No more being content with appearing to have it all together while internally, we're falling apart.
 No more whitewashed tomb living.
No more surface cleaning.
It's time to allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse us thoroughly and deeply in Truth.